10 things I hate about Eva
by Eric Blair
Summary: How do I loath thee..? Let me count the ways... Eva X 10 things I hate about you. [AU] The story of the relationship between a shy whiny wimp, a loud obnoxious narcissistic and their friends, guardians, teachers and perverts caught up in between.
1. A prelude pretending to be an epilogue

**10 things I hate about Eva.**

**An epilogue pretending to be a prologue.**

Kaji exhaled…this was it.

The last day of school; so much for a quiet and calm year, he thought, as he could see amongst a sea of uninterested faces the anger emanating from the red head directed solely at the young man who had his shoulders slumped, a closed and neutral expression on his face trying very hard to make it seem as if he actually gave a damn.

_Yeah right._

"Well, class at the beginning of the school term I told you that I would grade your creative writing final assignment to make it a 30 of your passing grade, the other 30 compromising schoolwork, homework, assistance and exams, the final 10 being this little exercise. So…without any further ado, I would like the first brave soul to the stand to read me his or her poem."

As expected, all of them shuffled and moaned but no one came up. Kaji sighed again and took his time trying to find the suitable vict…err…student to _(bully…no…coerce..? nope…convince..? yeah…that's it…)_ "convince" to read.

Asuka was still trying to obliterate Shinji with her anger and mental power alone.

"_Very much like an AT Field._" Kaji thought, remembering that particular psychology course from school.

Toji and Hikari were shyly and subtly glancing at one another.

"_Well, I know who'll have a blast at prom tonight."_ Kaji thought amusedly. Kensuke and Mayumi were trying very, VERY hard to not be caught by the others looking at them.

So much that everyone else was looking at them without their noticing.

Kaji chuckled at this.

And Kaworu and Rei were silently working side by si…wait a minute_…"They're holding hands..?"_ Kaji thought the rhetorical question…_"Way to go Rei…"_

He cleared his throat before beginning again.

"Right, so seeing as no one is brave enough to face a little peer pressure…" Kaji began, inwardly finishing his sentence.

"_Along with a lot of psychological scarring…"_

Just then, some one got up and walked with full purpose to the stand, but before reaching it, the person stopped by a desk, turned to look its occupant.

Said person made no attempt to acknowledge or turn whatsoever. Sighing dejectedly the other's feet shuffled again the necessary steps to reach the stand, and upon reaching it, turned with a flourish which brought Kaji a flashback of another place, another time.

Everyone stopped what they were doing, and turned to the person expecting something, anything from the volatile red head at this point.

Asuka coughed to clear her voice and slowly, almost inexorably, began to read her work.

"_I hate someone form this class, with all my will and all my might."_

"_Uh oh…"_ Kaji thought _"I think we can all agree on who that someone is, and that we are not surprised..."_

"_I hate him for getting all the attention._

_I hate him for being nice all the time._

_I hate him for always saying sorry, even when the fault might be mine."_

She paused a little at this and turned to look at Shinji who kept staring straight at his feet, apathy clearly written all over his face. He could see her mouth moving, but the sounds, the sounds registered themselves on his brain like a red hot poker engraving his lobes.

"_I hate him for being too neat and tidy._

_I hate him for being too uptight and whiny._

_I hate him for always getting what he wants._

_I hate him for having more friends then I have."_

Shinji stirred a little at the first jibe, and frowned but otherwise never changed his expression at the second verse, but the third and fourth made him slowly turn to face Asuka.

Or maybe it was her voice cracking, her throat shuddering, and a sob escaping from within her what made him look carefully and closely at her.

_  
"I hate him for being better, in everything he ever does; for making it simple, and easy; for not even trying or wanting at all!!!"_

Shinji, as well as the whole classroom, Kaji included, could only stare in shock at the girl who had went more times that one could bother to count to the principal's office (mostl of them for assault and batter), the same girl who had triumphed over a hundred hardships, the girl whose indomitable spirit always kept her forging ahead.

This girl had somehow be reduced to a normal _girl_.

A legend in itself no one, NO ONE, had had the guts or courage to stand up to her, until she found someone of her equal strength.

Someone who was not brash, loud or outspoken, some one who had countered each and everyone of her pushes by accepting the blow.

Until the last shove became the straw that broke his back.

"_And I **definitely **hate him for preferring her over me…"_

Shinji looked away guiltily, a blush and a frown covering his features before turning back to look at Asuka, now openly crying in front of everyone, honor and pride be damned. Her clear vblue eyes brimming with tears freely rolling down her cheeks.

"_But I hate him most of all because this feeling may not be hate, not even a little, not even at all..."_

Shinji saw al this thru his mind's eye, happening in slow motion; he saw how once she had finished reading the last line, a deep shudder cut it's way thru Asuka's spine, how her face and eyes became so red as to match her hair, how she turned to look at him for a second, how in that second a myriad of emotions passed thru those bright blue eyes and how, after that, Asuka crumpled the paper, threw it at him, picked up her books and stormed out of class, leaving everyone, Kaji included, again with their mouths hanging open, not really accepting or believing what had just happened.

Shinji Ikari, arguably a pushover, wimpy, whiny, scaredy-cat little boy had made Asuka Langley Soryu, bad girl extraordinaire cry…

In front of everyone…

And was still alive…

What surprised everyone the most was not only that, but that Shinji, in a rare display of backbone, picked up his stuff as fast as possible and flew right behind her…

Just as the final bell for this school year began to ring…

---

_Disclaimer_

_I shall use this space to cover my own ass: I do not own any of the intellectual property I use on this site (or story, in this case NGE and 10 things I hate about you/the taming of the shrew). _

_If you stumble across an original character of mine, feel free to pilfer it for your own amusement, as it would it be pretty hypocritical of me to tell you not to. _

_If you happen to own something that I have played around with here, please do not sue me. _

_Just drop me a line and I will gladly remove offending material. Thank you. _

**Poem taken originally from Bishiharem's **_"if not, then what"_

**Disclaimer taken from Agent Orange's own disclaimer.**

_Author's Addendum: This version is the same one that was published in evmde, reuploaded here just for Angelic girl, who somehow took the bother of reading it here and somehow decided it was good enough for praise. _

_Muchos thanks for the words of encouragement to everyone else; it's been a blast this whole year; as an announcement, chapter 4 is currently under work and if everything keeps going as it presently is (meaning no writer's block) then it should be published shortly._

_Once again my thanks and gratefulness to everyone who read, reviewed and otherwise got involved in this little project; it's no work of art, and it's miles away from something remotely sophisticated, but I put every ounce of my mind and soul in every word._

_May the following year bring you good tidings, and great fortune; a never ending supply of whiskey, a pot of soup always full, a full bag of gold, a chimney with enough wood to last thru winter and a loving family to share all of this with._


	2. The Pledge

_I shall use this space to cover my own ass: I do not own any of the intellectual property I use on this site (or story, in this case NGE and 10 things I hate about you/the taming of the shrew). _

_If you stumble across an original character of mine, feel free to pilfer it for your own amusement, as it would it be pretty hypocritical of me to tell you not to. _

_If you happen to own something that I have played around with here, please do not sue me. _

**Disclaimer taken from Agent Orange's own disclaimer, with minor differences.**

**The Pledge.**

**12 months ago.**

"_It's in their best interest to pursue a higher education in a better suited environment."_

"_And you think that's me…Uncle..?"_

"_Indeed."_

Misato Kasturagi was not a happy woman. She had to be at work in 10 minutes, and she still had registration to take care of. She looked to her right at the shy, quiet kid, and noticed his right hand clenching and unclenching. She thought once more how she had ended up in this job, being the legal guardian to a couple of kids after their only living relative had decided that.

"The thing about new school years is that it's always like a blank slate…new beginnings and all, y'know..?" Misato began, attempting to be cheerful.

"_By order of the foregoing Superior Court, Misato Katsuragi is authorized to act, according to law, as the Guardian of Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami."_

"_Please hold up your hand and repeat after me…"_

"_I, Misato Katsuragi solemnly swear to take care of the children entrusted to my care…"_

"_There is something that you should know about your charges…"_

Shinji decided to not say anything, instead grunting a response not committing to anything. He was never one to stand up and face his problems, it was always easier to just run away, hide behind his music, and believe that if one pretended hard enough, the problem would eventually go away.

"_Cluster C; Generalized social phobia consistent with developing Avoidant Personality Disorder."_

Misato sighed and looked at her other passenger in her rearview mirror, who had yet to say a word. Rei simply kept looking out the window, not even bothering to pay attention, not even committing to a reaction.

"_Cluster B; Withdrawn and unemotional response consistent with developing Antisocial Personality Disorder."_

The resemblance was there, even if they didn't share the same last name; Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami were brother and sister; or at least half brother and sister.

And now, Misato had been charged with being their guardian; she had received a note from their father, an old acquaintance and former research assistance turned godfather by her own father, requesting her to take care of the both of them, since he had enrolled both of them at the school were she was a teacher.

"_Great, this means I'm gonna have to start cleaning up and buying healthy food…"_

Of course both of them had told her that they didn't wish to be a bother, but that since they had enrolled on the last week there was no way to get a dorm, and that this situation would be only temporary.

"_Just as soon as we find an apartment for us."_ Shinji had said, while Rei kept the same neutral and quiet expression she seemed to have. This was the clincher; Misato could see herself in both of them, their fear, their longing to belong somewhere, with someone.

It was during the initial hearings in court when she was appointed as their guardian and in a subsequent conversation with both Gendo and her father that she found out the truth.

Their story was a really confusing one. Shinji Ikari was Gendo Rokobungi's and Yui Ikari's first natural son; his birth had been tragic, Yui Ikari had died during conception. Several years after, Gendo had received the young Rei Ayanami in their front steps. Rei had been conceived as a test tube baby when her birth mother Lilith Ayanami had herself impregnated from a donated ovum, an ovum whose donor was none other than Yui Ikari, making her Gendo's biological step-daughter and Shinji's biological step-sister.

She knew what her friends thought about her, that she was a slob, an alcoholic, and perhaps a bit of a slut _(even though she preferred the term morally challenged)_.

But when they finally reached her apartment building and got to her front door, and as soon as she opened her door, she turned to both of them and cleared her throat, before beginning with her prepared speech.

She had been open and honest, and upfront with them (So maybe she had left out that she had a minor degree in psychology, and that she tended to win yan-kon-po by intimidating her opponents) but she still made it pretty clear for them.

They were family now, and as such she was willing to give it a try to make it work.

Both Shinji and Rei looked at her for a long time, before turning to one another and nodding. Finally, the entered the small apartment with shaking feet and uneasy smiles, relaxing when they saw her warm smile and let out a shuddering sigh.

And then in unison, both of them uttered the words they had longed to say but were afraid to ask.

"_Tadaima…"_

------------------

**10 months ago**

"I'm sure you're gonna love it back here…" Ryoji Kaji said with an easy smile, looking at the pouting redhead to his right. She had changed; had grown into a beautiful young lady that could drive more than one man crazy.

He still wasn't sure if it was mainly due to her looks or her personality.

Asuka Langley Soryu had changed in those 5 years she had been studying abroad in Germany; she had become more obstinate and stubborn, with an ego the size of a Zeppelin; but on her better days she was still the same little girl who he had loved taking care of whenever her mother or father weren't around.

"I still don't understand why I had to come back from Germany Kaji…this place is so…so…_mittelalterlich_…" Asuka fumed, reverting back to mixing German with her mother tongue. She kept gazing straight ahead, Kaji sighed and said nothing, knowing that in her current state of mind it would do no good to remind Asuka that _She_ had returned because _She_ had been expelled from her former school.

"_We regret to inform you that the student Langley Soryu, Asuka has been expelled from this school by the school board in accordance to its bylaws."_

He just wanted to know what had caused her to break the other girls jaw, fracture her wrist and arm _and_ pull a patch of hair from her head while in the principal's office.

In front of said principal.

Kaji turned to her once more and saw her electric blue eyes once vibrant and full of life now full of anger and resentment.

"I guess I should be thankful that at least _you_ remembered _me_; I can see that P_apa_ and his _Herrin_ couldn't be bothered about me…again…"

Kaji sighed _"Here we go again…" _He braced himself for another rant on how she had been all but dumped after her mother's death by his father in that catholic school, how she had to endure the hardships and bouts of depression by self-reliance alone, and how she had endured, coming out stronger, better and more beautiful than ever.

And his psychology trained mind as student counselor made the immediate prognosis.

"_Cluster B; Dramatic and emotional erratic actions consistent with developing Narcissistic Personality Disorder with a passive-aggressive behavior with bouts of physical and psychological violence."_

Kaji decided to drown out her incessant rambling, until he picked the notions of her stepmother an exhaust pipe a bear trap and a gimp in a less than flattering way.

"Asuka…" Kaji said as he stopped in a rest area, turning off the car and turning over to look at her, taking off a handkerchief from within his pocket and handing it over to her so she could clean her tears.

"I understand you are angry at your dad, angry at your mom and at your stepmother, and maybe a little angry at yourself, but you have to move on…you have to…"

"What..?" She asked, her voice quivering and with tears in her eyes. "Pass to the third stage and bargain with god for the return of my mom..? And then what..? Get depressed..? Acceptance..?"

"You need closure…Asuka, plain and simple." Kaji said, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag before letting the smoke go. "You have so much pent up anger and repressed feelings within you that you are lashing out to everyone…"

"That' not true…"

"And now you're getting into fights, getting expelled out of school…"

"A school where my father all but banned me; He abandoned me, Kaji just like Mama, just like you…"

"ENOUGH!!!"

Asuka stopped arguing, scared by the change in Kaji's demeanor. He was always so laid back and agreeable, never got angry, never shouted.

It infuriated her more.

"You are the same as them…you see..? You're no better than them…"

She turned around ready to walk away when Kaji grabbed her hand and turned her around to face him; without saying anything else he hugged her tightly and stroked her red hair lovingly, almost fatherly.

"Let it go Asuka, let it go…"

And as Asuka Langley Soryu let her pent up rage, her frustration and anger melt away with the salty tears in her eyes, she promised herself she would never ever cry again.

Because crying was for cowards, wimps, and children.

Because crying was a sign of weakness, the same as caring for someone.

Because Asuka Langley Soryu was not weak.

------------------

**Present day.**

"_The thing about new school years is that it's always like a blank slate…new beginnings and all, y'know..?" Misato began, attempting to be cheerful._

"_I'm sure you're gonna love it back here…" Rouji Kaji said with an easy smile._

Kaworu Nagisa was scared.

Rather, he was intimidated.

He had just enrolled in school, ready to start a new year, and had already made the acquaintance of the 2 school counselors assigned to his class. They were good people as far as he could tell; although the purple haired teacher had a liking to irreverent and inappropriate comments, and would sometimes get angry at her peer, and the pony tailed man seemed more preoccupied to leer at her than pay attention to him.

"_Well…let's not take more time away from you Kaworu, you have your schedule, your books, your locker and your combination, now all you need to do is get this forms signed by Principal Fuyutsuki and you're on your way to higher education here."_

And with that, Kaworu was launched into the sea of individuals that compromised this school. He sighed dejectedly, hitched his back pack, checked his schedule and school grounds map and began to make his way towards the principal's office.

He hadn't taken a couple of steps before Misato and Kaji were at his side.

"Oh, Kaworu, I forgot to tell you, a student t has been assigned to give you a tour of our facilities. You are to meet her at the school quad in 20 minutes; more than enough time to go to principal Fuyutsuki's…" She ended saying the principal's name in a sing-song, before turning over to Kaji and pointing at him derisively.

"This loser will take you there as _his_ student is once again there…"

Kaji simply smiled good-naturedly and shrugged "Well…you have to admit that she's been getting better with those anger management classes."

"Yeah, Toji got only hit in the g'nads once instead of thrice…" Misato deadpanned. The trio did not notice a blonde in a lab coat falling into step with them.

"Actually, according to Asuka's statement, she still maintains that he kicked himself in the balls…"

Both teachers turned to the new comer and smiled at her.

"Hey Ritsu…allow me to introduce you to our newest addition to the student body; Kaworu Nagisa…"

"Please to meet you Mr. Nagisa; I am Ritsuko Akagi, the school nurse. Misato, you should be heading to homeroom, those kids in 2-A are quite unruly."

"Yeah, yeah; I'm going…see you Kaoru…bye Ritsu…"

"No goodbye for me 'Sato..?"

Misato simply stuck out her tongue at him, then winked, before continuing down the hall.

------------------

"Asuka Langley Soryu…I see we're making our visits a weekly ritual…." Kōzō Fuyutsuki began in an amicable manner, not glancing up from his morning paper.

"Only so we can have these moments together." Was the playful remark from one Asuka Langley Soryu. "Should I, uh, hit the lights..?" Fuyutsuki laughed tiredly at this.

"Asuka, you are my best friend's only daughter, not to mention that I'm old enough to be your grandfather…"

"Yeah…you're right…besides, why go for you when I could set my sights on Kaji..?"

"Oh, very clever, Miss Soryu…let's see…says here you exposed young Mr. Ikari in the cafeteria…" Fuyutsuki finished before clasping his hands in front of his mouth, resting his chin between them. "Is this accurate..?"

Asuka smiled brazenly at this. "I was joking with the wonder twins….besides; it was a bratwurst…"

"A Bratwurst..? Aren't you the optimist..? Next time, keep it in your bento box, okay..?"

"Ahh…" Asuka pouted at this. "But it's so much fun to watch the little twerp sputter and get embarrassed. We should make it a school activity…"

"I see…" Fuyutsuki chuckled dryly at this. "So, Asuka…have you made anybody else cry today..?"

Asuka simply smiled at that a lazy smile, similar to a cat that had just woken up.

"Sadly no, Principal Fuyutsuki, but I still have 5 more hours to go…"

Kōzō Fuyutsuki sighed tiredly at this.

"I heard that, besides the cafeteria stunt, you've been terrorizing Miss Ibuki's computer class again…"

"Expressing my opinion is not a terrorist act." Asuka deadpanned, still smiling that smile of hers.

"It is when it involves use of the school property, in this case the school electronic black board and bulletin board to threaten to cause bodily damage…" Fuyutsuki said, leaning back on his chair. "You might be glad to know that we were able to jumpstart Kensuke's hard drive without a problem. Those microchips he had to eat after you "_convinced_" him they were edible weren't any critical components…he has also regained the ability to eat solid food once more…"

"Good for him, I'll make sure to bake a cake in Home Ec. to send it to him…" Asuka snorted, clearly not interested in such an activity.

"And while were talking about school property, I expect a full refund for that glass door you "_assisted_" Suzuhara in breaking…"

"I told him not to run around the aisles, you see…accidents DO tend to happen…" She shrugged absentmindedly.

"He was running away from you…" Fuyutsuki stated.

"We were playing a game…" Asuka countered.

"You were threatening to break the broom stick on his skull…" A vein was now visible in the principal's forehead, and his right eye appeared to be twitching.

"I was joking…" Asuka tried a last resort defense.

"Same way you joked with Krutta..? By the way he has finally been able to turn around his waist without the aid of the circular hip…" Kaji interrupted in the nick of time, entering into the office, Fuyutsuki was able to see the mop of ashen hair of the new student as he sat down and waited for him.

"Great, he can come and help me with my twirling for the school dance…"

"That is enough!!" Both Fuyutsuki and Kaji exclaimed at the same time.

Asuka simply glared at them both without saying a word.

"Asuka, we need to talk…" Kaji began before turning towards the elder adult in the room.

"I knew your mother very well, which was the reason why I made an exception about the…unusual guardianship situation between you and Mr. Kaji…"

He got up and walked towards her, sitting on the ledge of his desk. "However I will not condone such activities as the one's you have done to these boys…"

Before Asuka could protest, Kaji quietly spoke.

"We know about the underground picture ring Toji and Kensuke have been leading, as well as Krutta's attempt to…persuade you…to go out with him…"

"But you have reached a breaking point, Asuka. If there happens to be another bout of violence with you as the direct assailant I will be forced to expel you, and the school WILL press charges…"

Asuka sat silently, stunned at hearing this. Quietly, without looking up she asked in a small voice.

"So I will go to jail..?"

At this, Kaji placed an arm around her in a comforting manner, while Fuyutsuki patted her hair in a gentle way.

"Not unless you stop doing that…"

After pausing for a moment to think, Fuyutsuki amended that.

"Unless as with the cases of Kensuke, Toji and Krutta and Meguro, you have probable cause…"

"_Wunderbar_…"

"You do, however have got to stop picking on Shinji…"

"Awww man…"

------------------

"Well…that was uneventful…"

Asuka began as she made her way out of Fuyutsuki's office; a low vibration distracted her for a second, and she opened her cell phone to check the message being sent to her.

She was so engrossed in it that she was unable to watch where she was going until it was too late.

"ACKKK!!!"

"Oh…I'm sorry Miss, can I help you…"

Asuka looked up from the floor, where she was sprawled in a rather unlady like posture to see the preoccupied face of a new student.

She typically reacted as everyone who knew her knew how she would react.

"PERVERT!!!!!!"

_SLAP!!!_

------------------

"You're late Mr. Nagisa…"

Kaoru could only look down in embarrassment and mumble an apology at the irate girl in front of him.

"I do not like being dragged out of my classes to assist you in guiding you thru the campus premises…"

Kaoru simply held his head low without looking up, catching his breath.

"I…I'm sorry…"

He heard the lady in font of him sigh tiredly. Finally he decided to look up to be awarded with a sight that left him openmouthed.

"Uhh..uh..m…I'm…sorry..?"

Rei Ayanami looked at him strangely, a reddish tint appearing briefly on her cheeks before pointedly looking away.

"You…said that already, there is no need to repeat ones' self…"

Kaworu couldn't help but continue to look at her as if she were nothing short of a work of art. He dumbly nodded without saying anything else. Rei turned around with an exasperated sigh, but also to hide her blushing cheeks from the boy in front of him.

Kaworu silently snapped himself out of his daze, still looking at the retreating form of Rei Ayanami wondering if the slap from the angry red head was making him see things.

"It is considered rude to stay behind and leave your appointed guide to wander of by herself Mr. Nagisa; I would hope that you were brought up differently."

Kaworu realized what Rei meant by this, he smiled dumbly at her back and quoted quietly.

"I burn, I pine, I perish…"

------------------

In a different place. Hikari made her way quietly to the supply room, across the empty school hall. She was about to open the door to the supply closet when she heard a rumble, followed by a high pitched scream and a slap. Eyebrow twitching, Hikari sighed tiredly.

"Probably one of those two idiots playing a wrestling match…" The pigtailed representative muttered under her breath.

"Kensuke…" She muttered, making her way towards the sounds "Toji…" She said in a slightly higher tone of voice, finally behind the door of the classroom where the entire ruckus was coming out from.

"ASUKA!!!! LEAVE THE STOOGES ALONE…"

From the center of the room, Asuka simply turned towards Hikari, not bothering on letting up from the punishment given to the 2 stooges.

Kensuke was currently heads down on the floor, Asuka Standing in one foot on top of him. Toji being on his knees with his right arm wrenched behind him.

"AHH…AHHH!!! CLASS REP…THE CRAZY BITCH IS KILLING US!!! HELP US…"

"A..ahhh…h..el..p…m..e.."

Hikari stood open mouthed by the scene in front of her, not even bothering to hear neither Toji's wail nor Kensuke's struggled cries for help.

"Hikari…what are you doing here..? I thought you were going to be giving the new kid the tour…"

"I...was going to but then I remembered that you were sent to Principal Fuyutsuki's office and since you couldn't go I decided to send Rei instead and came here to see you once you were out and…Asuka…"

"Ack…class rep…help…"

"Hmm..?" The red head never took her eyes from Toji who was turning an interesting shade of purple.

"Would you mind letting Mr. Suzuhara get some air..?"

Asuka relented with a grunt, but kept Toji in a headlock. "You are too soft on the stooge Hikari…"

"AHHH!!!" Toji attempted to wriggle free from Asuka's grasp, as she simply leaned back to make him lose his balance, a look of pain crossing his face. "LET ME GO YA CRAZY BI-OWWW!!" Before he could finish a solid cuff to his head silenced him effectively.

"Shut up stooge…I know it was you who went crying to Dr. Akagi's office about me hitting you in the pompon's when I told you not to…"

"YOU KICKED SUZUHARA IN THE PRIVATE'S..? WHAT WERE YOU…WHAT…ARE YOU AN IDIOT..?" A shocked Hikari yelled with wide eyes at Asuka, who simply turned to look at her with a shrug and an apologetic smile, prompting the pigtailed girl to take some action and make her friend aware just why she had been chosen from several other girls in the class room and appointed as with the position of Class Representative, her persona of member of the student council taking full charge.

"ASUKA…YOU WILL LET THOSE TWO NUMBNUTS GO AND YOU WILL FOLLOW ME…" She screamed at the top of her lungs making all three people stop their grunting and attempts to get free and turned at her; for a moment Kensuke, Toji and Asuka could swear Hikari had an impressive and angry blood red aura emanating from her.

In retrospect, they were sure it must have been an optical illusion from the light; otherwise, the possibility was just too scary.

"YOU TWO…" She continued looking at Suzuhara's prone form on top of Kensuke's. "YOU TWO WILL PICK YOURSELF UP AND LIMP TOWARDS DR. AKAGI'S OFFICE…" She let out a deep sigh. "AGAIN..!"

Hikari didn't wait, choosing instead to manhandle Asuka towards the nearest girls' bathroom, leaving Toji and Kensuke to fend for themselves. As soon as they were both gone a pair of feet shuffled towards them, letting an exasperated sigh.

"You made her angry again, didn't you..?"

They simply nodded at that without looking up. Looking down angrily at Toji and Kensuke (although it was more of disappointment to the former) Mayumi simply shook her head. Kensuke looked up at her and saw her normally arm and cheerful eyes now minimized to slits behind her round glasses.

"She's right…you really are a couple of stooges…" Mayumi said dejectedly, exiting the classroom and closing the door quietly, but still making it sound that much more imposing in both Toji's and Kensuke's mind.

Before any of them could do anything though, a shrill shriek erupted from within the bathroom doors.

"I AM GOING TO KILL THOSE STOOGES!!!"

This was followed by Hikari's shouting attempts to calm the volatile redhead.

"ASUKA…WAIT…"

Both teen looked at each to her and shuddered, watching the pounding steps march their way towards them.

Asuka's face darkened, like an oncoming storm, her eyebrows knitting into a tight frown, her lips curled into a familiar snarl, almost like a feline ready to pounce on her victim.

"Kensuke..! Run..! She's going berserk..!" Toji yelled from the floor, just as Asuka opened the doors violently with a flourish. In the back ground, Kensuke could see Mayumi flattened, whimpering in fear against a wall.

"MAYUMI STOP HER..!" Hikari yelled running after the red head, but Mayumi could only stay rooted there, eyes wide open in fear and if one could concentrate and hear very carefully they could hear only one sound coming from within her.

"Squeeee…."

The rest happened almost in a lyrical manner, one could swear this was a choreographed sequence filmed in slow motion on an action movie.

Mayumi could almost swear it was like watching an episode of National Geographic.

Toji had dived to a side, making a path for Kensuke to escape, delaying him for some vital seconds in the process as he tried to turn the corner and run down the corridor; Kensuke himself had bolted at the notice like a frightened rabbit, but Asuka leapt forward, almost as if her legs had powerful springs in them; one minute she was crouching to gain momentum, the other she had her elbow firmly planted on Kensuke's back.

"ACK..!" He yelled as they both went down, Kensuke holding his camera over his head so he wouldn't fall on it.

"Help..!"

"_Ich habe Sie jetzt_..." Asuka grunted as she wrenched Kensuke's right arm sharply across his back. "_Sie sind tot_…" Asuka screeched, pinning him to the ground with a forearm across the back of his neck. "Give me that..!"

"Crap..!" Toji yelled as he dove out the door to beat Asuka's climb to steal the device from Kensuke's wildly waving hand. He barely got there in time, snatching it like a great basketball steal.

The only problem was Asuka; she clearly wasn't playing by those rules; she planted a foot in the center of Kensuke's back and lunged again, driving the breath from the helpless boy with a barely heard 'oof', and grabbing Toji by the waist.

"Damn you stooges, give me that..!"

Toji laughed, staggering away and keeping his prize held out of reach. "Hah, you should have seen the-" A sharp twang of pain emerged from his leg as Asuka bit deeply into Toji's calf, her teeth leaving a pair of half moon marks on it, deciding to fight _dirtier_ than always.

"OWW..! She's biting me...no biting...!"

Desperation sinking into the jock, he threw it to the closes person available.

Who just happened to be Shinji, entering the library, determination clearly written on his eyes, which turned into blue saucers as he saw a camera flying his way followed by Toji's scream.

"Shinji...! Catch...!"

Shinji, standing just outside the door, watching the scene, reflexively caught the tossed camera, earning himself a glare from Asuka, who, spitting out a mouthful of Toji, pushed the jock forcefully to one side. "Shinji! I will kill you!"

"Wait, Asuka..!" Shinji cried as she leapt for him. Panicked, he threw the camera back to the only other person still standing.

The camera sailed just over her head as Asuka hit him high, flipping him nearly onto his head.

"Oof..!"

Luckily, the device fell into Toji's arms as he grabbed at the painful impact on his chest. Surprised at suddenly having it again, he froze.

Asuka rolled off of Shinji.

Toji bolted for the open door to the classroom, darting in behind Kensuke and closing it just in time for the latch to click before Asuka reached it, and the snick of the lock was a second following.

Asuka pounded angrily on the door. "_Verdammen sie es_! Open up stooges...!"

"Don't let her have my camera..!" Kensuke added, staggering painfully to his feet. "That thing was expensive..."

"You..!" Asuka yelled, lunging for Kensuke. "You made this..." She cried as she kicked the boy in front of her, making Kensuke fall on his but. She followed with an axe kick to his midsection.

"Oww!"

"And you..." Her glare turned towards Shinji as she leapt over to him, landing on top of him again, straddling him and pinning his lower body between her thighs. "You...you _pervertsohn eines weibchens_..." She punctuated each German word with a punch to his arm. "You, you suck!"

"Oww! Asuka, it wasn't my idea..!" Shinji protested, clutching her arms, bucking his hips trying to reverse his position on her, attempting to roll her to the ground.

"And you..!" she cried, yelling at the door. "I can break your arm in three places! If you don't open the damned door I'm going to call the hall monitor..!"

Who just happened to show by at that precise moment.

"Would any of you care to explain to me what is going on..?"

Shiro Tokita, could only be described as a stereotypical middle aged man; As the appointed caretaker and self appointed hall monitor for school grounds he was generally regarded as a short and ill tempered man; Tokita's attempts to enforce the letter of rules against activities such as being outside the dorms late made life very inconvenient for many of the students at school and generally made him rather unpopular view the student body. Besides that, he had a penchant for using any situation he could come up with to issue his favorite punishment, without waiting for an explanation or possible cause, always summing it with one word.

"You and you…" He said, sporting a tight smile, pointing at Asuka and Shinji.

"Detention."

------------------

Elsewhere, Misato Katsuragi hummed cheerfully, making her way to the snack machines on the teacher's lounge. She had just served time, and gotten relatively safe from the unruly kids of class 2-A.

She deserved a little pick me up, diet be damned.

"Ryoji Kaji, please report to the Detention room immediately." The P.A. announced thru the school grounds. Relishing in Kaji's unlucky situation, for being called to detention could only mean that Asuka had done something in the general vicinity of Tokita's impressive seeing and hearing radio.

"Score one for Katsuragi." She pumped her fist in the air, more happy when she saw that the machine still had her favorite candy bar; even better, it was the last one.

"Misato Katsuragi, please report to the Detention room immediately."

Something in the back of her brain made her turn to the P.A., and in loosing those precious seconds attempting to understand why she would be required to show at Tokita's domain, she never saw as an anonymous student came next to her, placed his spare change inside the machine, punched the code and got a treat.

It was the familiar sound of a wrapper being torn and the smell of her candy bar what drove her of the haze she was in, as she noticed the student walking away, stuffing his face with the candy bar. In shock, Misato turned towards the machine, noticing the vacant space where her treat used to sit.

Putting two and two together, Misato realized with a tactical prowess worthy of a poodle that some one had taken her treat.

"Misato Katsuragi, please report to the Detention room…NOW..."

And the day began to grow grayer and darker.

------------------

"Thank you for picking me up from detention Misato…"

"Don't mention it kid…although I'm telling you that red-headed demon is a danger to this school, as well as to the whole community…."

"No, you got it all wrong, she is just misunderstood…" Shinji tried desperately to defuse the bomb.

"Lizzie Borden was misunderstood. She was also a psychotic lunatic who murdered her parents in her sleep…" Misato thought it was more helpful to douse the flame with the red canister marked simply as _"gasoline"_.

"Well Kaji and Fuyutsuki talked to her and they said that it was going to be different this time around…" Ritsuko added helpfully, winking at Shinji and making him utter a quiet _"Eep…"_ and blush, looking away.

Misato, of course had already began her daily routine of _let's bash the Kaji_.

"Yeah… I bet that good for nothing bum gave her the 411…" Misato began before changing her voice to sound deeper. "Listen…Asuka since I'm a bit of a wuss and Fuyutsuki clearly is afraid of you, let us crawl out of here alive and you can go back to doing whatever it is you do in between torturing the students here...'kay..?"

"Still with your panties in a bunch…" Ritsuko said absentmindedly.

"Don't think for one minute that loser has any kind of effect whatsoever on my panties." Misato growled, while unconsciously scratching the highest part of her back thigh.

Both women continued their conversation, not realizing that Shinji was still with them. He blushed but remained otherwise silent while they kept airing their dirty laundry without a second thought.

"Yeah…you don't sound like a jilted lover at all. Besides, taking it out on Fuyutsuki is so unfair…he did support you on that crazy school trip to the Yebisu brewery even though he knew YOU were gonna ditch the class to hang around the guest's lounge and enjoy the complementary beer. "

Misato had the decency to blush at that comment before continuing her attack. "Yeah, well I seem to remember you being there as well, equally drunk and one hundred percent sure that the fox-tails should really be called Kitty-tails…"

Ritsuko never missed a beat at that. "My point exactly…if it weren't for Kaji, both our asses would have been fired…especially after we hijacked that golf cart and took it for a spin around the brewery…"

Misato fumed at that before throwing up her hands in defeat. "Oh…all right he might be a bit reliable…but he is still a chauvinistic pig…" She ended nodding at her statement, crossing her arms in front of her.

"And you still have feelings for him…" Ritsuko decided to add, pausing in front of a coffee machine and grabbing a cup for herself.

"I feel for him nothing more than contempt. I hate him with the fire of a thousand suns…" Misato decided to counter with a flourish.

"Well I don't know…I do think the lady doth protest a bit much…" Ritsuko continued, deciding Shakespeare was a good choice for quotes.

"OF COURSE I DOTH PROTEST…" Misato exploded at last. "IT'S KAJI FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE…" Ritsuko was about to add something before Misato began her irate tirade again.

I WOULD NOT GO OUT WITH HIM EVEN IF I WAS FACED BY A SQUAD OF SELF DEFENSE FORCE ASSAULT TEAMS, OR IF HIS LIFE WAS THREATHENED AND DEPENDED ON IT…"

"Please stop…" Shinji spoke in a small voice, his face as red as the jacket Misato was wearing.

Misato looked up in surprise, almost breaking off a trance.

"Huh…Wha..?"

"Well, I for one think you need to just go with him, screw him senseless and get it over with…And Shinji could run some interception with Asuka…again…" The sarcastic tone in Ritsuko's voice was not lost to anyone.

"WHAT..?!" Both the teacher and the student yelled aghast.

"Miss Akagi, pleased…I-it's not like that…" Shinji tried to explain.

Ritsuko smiled, readjusting her glasses. "Well Shinji, we heard from an esteemed and traumatized colleague how a particular Red-head groped you in front of the lunch lady…"

Misato stood shaking with anger, breathing deeply in and out. "Just look at what she did to poor Shinji here…"

It was at this moment that Shinji decided it was in his best interest to escape in any way possible before Misato could…

"She opened his fly in front of the lunch lady and shoved a sausage into it…"

Shinji got even redder, if possible and attempted to hide his face with his hands. Maya decided to chime in.

"She even went so far as to recount in a very specific way how you shrieked like a girl in the middle of the cafeteria, flashing everyone in the process…"

"Mi-Miss Akagi…"

"Well it is a rather hopeful euphemism for Shinji's rather…_Limited_…physique…" At this point Ritsuko gave Shinji a pointed look, raking him over and stopping for a full 5 second on his groin.

Shinji felt the light trickle of blood form his nose. That was before he heard Misato chuckle.

Then he became as pale as a ghost.

"Well...that one time when he met Pen-pen…I have to admit the hiding behind a pack of toothpicks doesn't do wonders for one's own self esteem, right Shinji baby..?"

"Kill me now…" Shinji groaned as he walked away dejectedly.

Ritsuko kept looking at the boy's retreating form. "I still think he and Asuka could hit it off…"

Misato snorted at that. "What makes you think that..?"

"The fact that I knew both you and Kaji back in college, and the similarities are eerily familiar…" Ritsuko said rather innocently.

"Yeah right…Kaji is nothing like Asuka…" Misato said, not noticing the trap.

"I was leaning towards him being more like Shinji…" Ritusko said to Misato's back, already smiling.

Misato stood thinking at that. "Yeah, that makes sense, he wasn't so shy but I can totally see some Shinji in…" Misato paused as she began to understand where this was leading.

"HEY..! I'M NOTHING LIKE ASUKA…"

Ritsuko simply laughed at that.

------------------

"So you're saying that this school has it's own terrarium..?" Kaworu asked amazed while he and Rei walked thru the botanical section of the school.

"That is correct it was primarily constructed as a sample of a Geo-Dome, but when the student council found out it was supposed to be underground, they decided to build a terrarium, or a Grotto if you will, instead."

Kaworu kneeled next to the river running peacefully and dipped his hand into the pure water. "Amazing…"

He saw Rei's own slender hand go inside almost touching him, and then felt her body kneeling opposite next to him. "You really think so..?"

"Yes…"

"The school installation are also among the securest ones;." She extracted her school Id badge and flashed it at Kaworu. "Your ID card is also a pass card to go inside student facilities like dorm rooms, cafeteria library and such. If you need to report to a section you do not have access to, an appointed teacher will have to give you that clearance."

"How so.."

""I…" Rei blushed, paused for a second and continued. "I play the violin at Mister Aoba's class. If you…felt like you…wanted to…" With each passing word, Rei's blushed became deeper and more pronounced. "Come and see me…he would have to give you access…"

"Or I could sneak in with you…"

Rei gulped, but nodded when she saw Kaworu's smiling face.

"Uhmmm…Regarding the security system…" Rei fell for words, attempting to recollect her thoughts. "The security system is one of the best for the school facilities in the suburban area. The locks only give you access with your school ID, and they engage at precisely seven o'clock."

"So you can't leave without your Id..?"

Rei nodded before continuing. "Precisely. At eight, the entire system Goes on-line, and engages. No one can leave when that happens, regardless of clearance, rank or status."

------------------

"But why Wonder Girl..?" Asuka kept pouting after being forced to face down Hikari the Class Rep's "I'm very disappointed at you" speech version 2.7; now with additional guilt trip software included. It was bad that she also had to show up every Saturday at the school library for the next 3 months, but the worst of it was Kaji.

He could come with some interesting punishments; last time it had been to clean Katsuragi's apartment.

Asuka shuddered as she recalled exactly what she had encountered when she entered that purple haired slob's cave she called a bedroom.

"Why not..? I was gonna…give you support and we couldn't have him wandering out aimlessly…Besides, if I had asked you, you would have said no, citing perverted reasons or something so Asuka-like."

"Why not Mayumi..?" Asuka asked, referring to their other glasses wearing friend.

Hikari balked at that, scrambling for an answer. "Be-because…she had to…go to the library…" She ended in a rush.

"Yeah…no big surprise there…after all she is a bookworm…"

"And since it was only Rei or…Mana…"

"You chose apathy personified over that idiot…Nice call…" Asuka said sarcastically.

"Asuka!!" Hikari shouted, not really shocked but just for the sake of appearances. "Rei is not a goth, and she may be…distant…but she is not apathic…"

"Oh…puh-lezzee…the tiles at my feet have more personality that the lower half of the wonder duo." Asuka mumbled under her breath before stopping short and turning to face Hikari who was still picking out her books for the next set of classes.

"Wait a minute why didn't you stood up for Kirishima..?"

"Because I know which battles to fight, and I'm not a big fan of already lost causes…" she sighed. "You should really patch things up with her…she's been trying to-"

"Hikari…Don't" Asuka said softly but firmly. Hikari sighed but nodded, and resumed walking with the red head towards next class.

A blur of movement caught Asuka's attention, making her turn to her right.

"Hikari you go ahead, I need to go to the bathroom…" she said, taking of running down the hall way, not giving Hikari time to answer back.

It wasn't until Hikari had walked into the class room that she realized the girl's bathroom on that area were the opposite way Asuka had run into.

------------------

Shinji made his way towards his next class; Kaji's Creative Writing. On the plus sign, Kaji was a heck of a teacher, never judging or anything.

On the minus it did have Asuka in it.

Thinking back to the early hours in the cafeteria, and the yelp of surprise he had uttered when she had opened his fly and stuffed he hand deep into it, he felt the familiar heat around his cheeks, as well as a faint tickle at the base of his nose.

This was quickly followed by the feeling of her thighs around his lower stomach, the soft firmness of her body pushing against his, the feeling of her bre-

Shinji paused when he saw a dark crimson drop fall at his feet, feeling the trickle flowing from his nose. Without saying anything, and thankful for the fact that the hallways were somewhat deserted, Shinji wiped his nose clean.

"Oh, well…at least Kaji will be there to gather her attention…and maybe Mana will kneel down in front of me again to pick her pencil case…"

Quickly wiping his nose again, Shinji made his way towards the class room.

------------------

"This was an excellent tour, Miss Ayanami; I really enjoyed your company…"

"Like wise…"

Both were making their way towards the main atrium, gradually slowing down until all that was left was for them to go inside the quad again.

Rei walked towards the stone arches, turned around sharply and extended her hand, her eyes never blinking, nor leaving Kaworu's face.

"I had a great time Mr. Nagi-"

"Kaworu…" He said softly, while taking her hand. "Please…call me Kaworu…"

"Very well…Kaworu…" Rei said in an equally soft voice.

They stood like that for a couple of minutes holding hands in an awkward handshake.

"I must be getting to class now…" Rei began, not making a move.

"As do I…" Kaworu said as well, never letting go of her hand.

"That would require for you to let go of me…" Rei said in a whisper, blushing pointedly at this. Kaworu withdrew his hand from hers as if she was hot (which she was but not in that way).

"I…uh…please forgive me…"

Rei said nothing, simply turning around and walking towards the arch again. Before crossing over, thought she said in a crisp voice. "I will be taking my lunch tomorrow at one o'clock in the afternoon. by the eastern quad…and I practice the violin every Thursday and Friday from four-thirty to eight in the evening…" She turned and looked directly into his dark eyes, smiling faintly.

"I wouldn't mind if you showed at either of these events."

Kaworu looked up at her and said nothing, still surprised. Rei straightened her back and began to walk inside again, before stopping for a third time and saying one last word.

"You should apologize only when you are at fault…it is…annoying…otherwise…"

And with that she left.

------------------

Shinji sat in his usual place and waited for Kaji to begin his class, one by one everyone else made their way inside.

First, Toji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida; both sporting bruises on their faces. They made their way towards Shinji, nodded once and sat to his sides Shinji looked first at one, then at the other before letting out a single word.

"Asuka..?"

"Asuka…" confirmed his two friends. Shinji shook his head and muttered under his breath. "Stooges…"

Immediately after Toji and Kensuke Hikari Horaki and Mayumi Yamagishi made their respective entrance. Both glared at Toji and Kensuke and sat a couple of desk behind them, one desk in the middle waiting for the third member of their small club.

Asuka Langley Soryu.

She entered as always, opening the door, glaring at his friends and himself, as well as the rest of the class; the only exceptions were Hikari and Mayumi, her friends; Rei as she wasn't here yet and…

Mana Kirishima.

In Shinji's world the perfect woman; slender and lithe, with short reddish hair and emerald green eyes, as well as a shy, yet playful personality.

The very definition of tease.

The last one to enter was Rei, and she made her way quietly towards her usual place near the window.

Finally Ryoji Kaji made his way to class, scrawny looks, stubble chin and hastily-made tie, hair shaggy and brown tied into a messy ponytail.

"Rise…bow…sit…" Hikari's voice rang inside the classroom.

Just another regular day.

"Class I would like for you to meet a new student in this class…"

The sound of shuffling feet, the quiet steps of a child trying to sound confident, but scared more that he would care to admit. He stood in front of them all, head a little low, drawing a deep breath before looking straight ahead a smiling a nervous smile.

"Hello, my name is Kaworu Nagisa…please take care of me…"

------------------

Dinner at the Katsuragi/Ikari/Ayanami household always had two constants. The cook, and the banter.

Rei disliked eat, therefore there had to be some kind of vegetarian food in the mix. Misato was always attempting to smuggle a piece or two of meat into Rei's food, or to spice it up with her legendary taste for extreme curry flavor.

Rei always ended up calmly swatting Misato's hand away from the food.

Misato had the rare skill of making anything related to food inedible if she attempted to cook it; even the instant pizza she had once brought home had ended up a charred mess and made Shinji grumbled as he cleaned the oven.

Therefore Shinji cocked. Always.

The only exceptions were on Wednesdays and Fridays, when he had cello practice with Shigeru's Aoba music class. However after a close call of all the members of the household on one such occasion, when Misato has somehow managed to turn instant ramen into a class A environmental hazard sludge, or something more akin to a N2 bomb, Shinji had ever since made and overnight casserole for Wednesday, since Friday had unofficially become "home delivery" Day.

As for the banter, there was always various topics, since Misato, besides being unable to boil water had the keen sense of being present whenever something was said that could be used as blackmail material.

Or to tease one of the other members of the household.

Which was the cause for today's friendly banter between Misato and Rei.

"C'mon Rei…fess up…"

"I fail to see the cause for disappointment; after all it was only a lunch date…" Rei said casually

Rei got up and made her way towards the sink with her dinner cup and utensils.

"C'mon, It's not everyday I pick you up from class and someone is with you, reading from the same book…"

"Hikari and Mayumi have done so…"

"We don't count…Wer'e girls…" Hikari smirked from the other side of the kitchen, and giggled as Misato continued with her attempts to help Rei, while Rei swatted her hand away from the condiment rack and kept stirring the pots in front of her.

"C'mon…tell us…you like the new kid…right..?" Mana Kirishima asked as she came back from the bathroom, toweling her hair dry.

Rei blushed and attempted to hide her face by turning the opposite direction from where Misato was.

"'Aha..!" Misato shouted in triumph. "I knew it…you think Kaworu's hot…"

"No, I do not."

"But you told us you invited Kaworu to lunch and to watch you practice at Mister Shigeru's class…" Mayumi added smiling softly as she tasted from a pot.

Rei turned to look at Mayumi, frowning at her. "I seem to remember I also told you, specifically that was supposed to be a secret."

"U-uhh…Squeee!!" Mayumi yelped, her glasses sliding down her nose as she trembled at Rei's glare.

"Busted!!" Mana, Hikari and Misato chanted together. Misato contributed by making kissing noises on the background.

"I believe that I acted accordingly to how anyone would have behaved in a situation such as mine, so I see no point in you trying to grasp at situations that are not the case, since they could be easily misunderstood."

Everyone else in the room turned to look at Rei as she kept stirring the pots.

"Rei if you're scared of how to act with a boy I can always tell you how to get them to be at your beck and calling…" Misato giggled. "It worked wonders with Makoto before he began going out with Satsuki."

"Shouldn't you be more concerned in getting Kaji..?" Rei retorted before shrugging. "Besides, it's only a lunch date…"

"That's how it start's…" Misato said a she took a long gulp from her beer. "First, it's lunch dates…" She began pacing across the hall, mumbling and swearing in sotto.

"Then, it's going out to coffee, then it's beers…" She continued, before turning and launching into a full on rant.

"And then suddenly before you know it you are spending a whole week out of school, naked in bed, screwing like bunnies, not bothering to get out of bed, just drinking and fuc…"

"Please stop…" Rei interrupted Misato before she could continue her explanation. "And no thank you…" Rei continued completely unaffected as she continued preparing dinner.

"I fail to see how you will provide me with a suitable role model; if your little Freudian slip is to be believed, then I can only assume that it was you and Mr. Kaji who spent that whole week drinking and fuc…"

"AHH SHADDUP!!"

Misato slammed her beer on the table making all of the girls look at her. She held an intense look in her eyes, shifting her line of sight ever so often.

"You little girls would never understand until you live thru college like I did…" Misato's eyes softened and her voice became soft. "The constant silence, never being able to make friends, the quest for acceptance, and how several males like Kaji prey on innocent naïve girls just like m-"

"Miss Akagi mentioned that during her first semester at college when she met you she couldn't make you stop talking at all…" Rei interrupted.

"Wh-well I…"

"And she also said that when both of you saw Kaji you actually made a bet with her of who would bag him first…"

"B-but I…"

"And Mister Kaji told me that those two weeks were actually your idea Miss Misato…"

Everyone turned around to look at Mayumi who, as soon as the words had stopped, had crossed her hands over her mouth, her face flushing with embarrassment.

"Ugh…I did not have to know that about Kaji…" Mana said as she made a disgusted sound.

"Yeah Mayumi how exactly did you ended up talking about Mister Kaji's and Miss Misato's love life..?" Hikari asked as she made her way back to the kitchen.

"Further more, why would you have interest in Mister Kaji's and Miss Misato's love life..?" Rei input.

"Can we please stop talking about the idiot's and my love life..?" Misato asked from within the fridge, where she was fishing for another beer, and attempting to hide her flushed face.

"Besides, I'm pretty sure lover boy won't be able to get within 5 feet from you…"

Rei blinked at that, turning to look at the other girls, confusion clearly drawn on her face, before turning to their guardian once again.

"I don't get it…" Rei said slowly, confusion evident in her voice.

Misato smiled evilly at that.

"Well, you know how Shinji gets whenever some one from the male persuasion other than his friends get near you…"

Rei frowned at that; it was true Shinji was a bit…over protective of her…but she always thought that was mainly a side effect of his intense dislike to Mogudan, but now…

"What should I do..?"

"Well the easiest way to get you some alone time with Kaworu the Casanova would be for some one to engage Shinji so that his mind is elsewhere."

Misato smirked, expecting a reaction from any of the girls, closing her eyes, envisioning the squeals and shouts and…

Silence.

Misato opened her eyes to see the girls in front of her watching her closely, as a group of novice monks would an enlightened being.

"What are you implying..?"

Misato's face fell at the question, but quickly came with the answer.

"Shinji needs to get a date…"

Rei and the rest of the girls blinked at this.

"Why is that..?"

"It's fairly plain and simple...If Shinji doesn't date, you don't date..."

"But you know that Shinjidoesn't date..."

"What do you mean..?" Mana asked from her side.

"Shinji doesn'tlike to date..."

"I-is he…" Mayumi stammered, gesturing and nodding. The rest of the girls simply saw her, not understanding what she was trying to say. "Y-you know…I-is he…gay..?"

"O-of course he's not gay..." Mana and Rei said at the same time.

"Then there something wrong with the software because it's encoded in his genes...Boys date. Period." Misato said firmly, not noticing the strange blush from both Rei and Mana.

Both then heard Rei mutter something under her breath.

"What was that..?"

Rei got up and left for her room. "Then, it seems that I'm doomed to be die a lonely spinster…"

Misato smiled at that. "Yeah, you'll wind up like Ritsuko living along cats…"

Rei turned then towards the rest of the girls. "You know, it would be in our best interest to get him a date with any girl as soon as possible…" She finished throwing a side long glance at Mana who blushed and looked away.

"But he…" Hikari began

"You can't pimp Shinji like that Rei that is so…so…Asuka-like…" Misato exclaimed laughing at the look on the blue haired girl.

"And yet you seem to have no problem exploiting him to clean your room, cook your food and get you your beers…"

"Well he does that out of his own free will…"

"You conned him at yan-kon-po" Rei stated flatly.

"Yeah…you're right…" Misato said. "Ohh…all right…" She pouted. "I'll help you set Shinji up, but you owe me…"

"I'll make sure to remember that next time the ramen bars call to inform Shinji and myself we need to go get you out of there since they're past closing time…"

------------------

_Author's Ramble:_

_Ok first off…yeah; the relationship between Rei and Kaworu might seem a little rushed but I'll pledge the "Love at first sight" card on this one, although there is a side story about several activities waiting to be told, but only if your reviews fill my need that is ;)_

_Asuka might come of as a hard ass, but I hope it is consistent with her psyche profile, I decided to try and flesh out the characters in this ep, leaving Shinji for next ep., so…_

_Yes, lordkingtom: this will definitely be continued, _

_Yes, September Nobara,: I made a mistake on the "K" gomen nasai, bowing _

_And yes, Zephyr892: this story won't be abandoned; while I won't make it a 20+ opus, I am looking at leat at 5 or 6 chappies, so…hang in there._

_Special thanks to each and every one of my current six reviewers for taking the time to review. Special notions to two of them; _

_Hououza: thanks for the words I would consider it an honor, especially after some of your stories if you could beta this little project, Thanks. _

_Zephyr892: thanks for the encouragement as well as for everything else. Check your inbox man, and drop me a line._

_Peace, Yo!_

_Author's Addendum:_

_This story was updated on 12-31-2006. Mainly because I had rushed into it, and felt it was a bit disconnected from the rest of the story, hope you like the update._


	3. The Turn

_I shall use this space to cover my own ass: I do not own any of the intellectual property I use on this site (or story, in this case NGE and 10 things I hate about you/the taming of the shrew). _

_If you stumble across an original character of mine, feel free to pilfer it for your own amusement, as it would it be pretty hypocritical of me to tell you not to. _

_If you happen to own something that I have played around with here, please do not sue me. _

**Disclaimer taken from Agent Orange's own disclaimer, with minor differences.**

**The Turn.**

"Ok. Ok; settle down, everybody…" Professor Kaji began as he dumped his bag in his seat, retrieving a book from within. "You've all met the newest addition to the class of 2-A, now let's get to work…"

Everybody groaned at that, but began to take their books out of their respective bags. Kaji chuckled at that, glancing at the whole room, seeing several familiar faces.

"I'm glad to see everybody in such good spirits, specially taking into account that this is the first day…" The whole class paled at that, knowing that Kaji could only mean one thing:

"Now let's talk about class requirements…" He said, all the while flashing a smile at the students.

"Now, for this year we are going to focus on Shakespeare; arguably the most influential writer of the English language. Toji, give us a brief explanation of Shakespeare…"

Toji glanced form his laptop compute and looked at Kaji questioningly. "Huh..?" When he realized that was not the answer Kaji was waiting for Toji looked down. "Sorry Teach…"

Asuka smirked and typed away on her computer.

_ Looks like the moron's taking up "Advance Speech for Monkeys" is finally paying off._

Hikari frowned at her PM and typed back.

_ I'm sure this would have nothing to do with the constant bashing of his head that somehow always seem to have you as the originator. NOW PAY ATTENTION!!_

Kaji let out an exasperated sigh. "Ok. Kensuke, when and where was Shakespeare born..?"

Kensuke typed away and was about to answer when Kaji held up his hand.

"If the source is something ending with a dot-whatever don't even bother answering…"

Kensuke's smile froze in place. "S-sorry, Teach…"

Mayumi giggled at this.

_ Looks like Wikipedia won't save you this time 'Suke…_

Kensuke looked to his right and saw Mayumi's giggle.

_ That was harsh, Yamagishi._

"Miss Mayumi…" Mayumi 'eepeed' when she heard her name called and saw Kaji looking straight at her. "Why don't you enlighten the whole class with your knowledge on Shakespeare…"

"Uhmm…" Mayumi stood up with uncertainty, not because she didn't know what to say, rather because she was being the center of attention of the whole class, something she wasn't used to and didn't like.

"W-William Shakespeare was an English poet, dramatist and playwright regarded as the greatest writer of the English language, as well as one of the greatest in Western literature, Sir…"

"Very good Mayumi; now Shinji name a comedy, a tragedy and a historical play from Mr. Shakespeare."

Shinji closed his eyes at this. _So much for anonymity._

"Uhmm… The Two gentlemen of Verona, Henry the V and Hamlet ..."

"Very good; now Rei…" Kaji smiled before turning around, as he began writing on the blackboard. "What's your favorite play by Mr. Shakespeare…?

"Romeo and Juliet…sir…" Rei answered, standing up, but with her eyes cast down, a slight blush on her face.

"Ahh yes…The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet…" Kaji began still writing more topics on the blackboard.

"Kaworu, please read the context explanation for this in page 135…"

Kaworu looked left, and then right, thinking there might be another Kaworu in class, when he realized Kaji was referring to him, he stood up from his desk and addressed the teacher.

"I'm sorry Mr. Kaji but I don't have a book…"

Kaji turned at this, looking at the seating arrangement. "Right you are Mr. Nagisa…" He pondered for a little bit more before continuing. "Miss Ayanami, please assist Mr. Nagisa and let him share your book…"

Both Kaworu and Rei gulped at that, as the whole class whooped and cheered, laughing as both had a reddish hint on their cheeks; meanwhile only three people in the whole class remained silent; Shinji Ikari, Asuka Langley Soryu and Mana Kirishima. All 3 separated by at least a row and 3 seats, none looking at the other; Asuka remained with an uninterested face, while class continued, while, Mana kept her face on her book, listening but not listening, oblivious to what happened outside her bubble; Shinji could only look with a look of pure amazement at Mana, before he felt something collide with the back of his head, followed by the familiar "ping" emanating from his laptop computer, signaling someone had PM'ed him.

_ Take a picture; it'll last longer… _

Shinji blushed at that, not even bothering to see who the culprit was.

"Often commonly referred to as Romeo and Juliet…" Kaworu continued, still blushing. "This is William Shakespeare's most famous of his plays, one of his earliest theatrical triumphs, and is thought to be the most archetypal love story in Western history, concerning the fate of two young star-cross'd…" He paused, letting Kaji write the word in big bold letters. "Or ill-fated lovers…"

"Mana…" Kaji began addressing the other redhead in the classroom "What do you think of Mr. Shakespeare's artistic work..?"

Maya smiled at that and stood up. "I think that he is a very prolific writer; he wrote tragedies and comedies, historical and fictional plays, he even had time for a book of sonnets…" Kaji nodded at this. Mana continued.

"In addition to that, Shakespeare is the most quoted writer in the literature and history of the English-speaking world…"

The whole class listened attentively, while Kaji could swear Shinji had a pair of hearts where his eyes should be. Just as Maya finished her explanation, the whole class heard a derisive snort coming from the other redhead classmate.

_Uh-oh._ Kaji thought turning to the classroom while smiling at the prospect of a debate between the two. _This is gonna get ugly._

"Now; Asuka…what do YOU think of Mr. Shakespeare..?" He asked; his back still to the class as he continued writing.

"He's good, has a way with words, tends to overexpose the thoughts of everyone with more words that should be used, but over all; he's overrated…"

Kaji's chalk screeched to a stop, breaking in the process. While he had been sure Asuka would have a strong opinion, he knew she was setting the class up for a discussion. Still with his back to his student and charge, he smiled.

_Any minute now…_

"Oh really..?" Mana asked, turning around. "Why is that..?"

Kaji kept scribbling on the board. _Predictable…_

"Well, for starters he is quoted only by people who want to appear literate or intellectuals; Ivy-leagues wannabes…" Mana felt the zing of her words and turned to look at her, her blue eyes asking a silent question.

"Well…" Kaji added turning around, decided to stir up the conversation. "His readings are regarded as the height of Western culture…"

"Yes. His tragedies and historical plays are good…" Asuka smirked, just as Mana turned to look at Kaji and mouthed the words 'Good', with a questioning look.

Kaji simply shrugged and nodded at Asuka, letting her continue.

"What I don't like about him is the condescending tone he takes on his comedies; The Taming of the Shrew, for instance, portrays women as stubborn, prideful little girls intent in only having their way…" Asuka added, as the whole class (Kaji included) decided it was best to kept silence.

Asuka was looking both at him and Mana expecting a retort, knowing she had left herself wide open for a personal attack. Mana simply glared at her and decided to le it go, sitting down and turning to look at the blackboard.

"Ok…" Kaji finally relented. "So you say that Shakespeare's comedies are not really your cup of tea…" He walked around his desk, taking a copy of the school book from within and opening it.

"That's understandable…now let's try to understand the bard from a different perspective…"

Kaji leafed thru his book, stopping at a particular page reading it and smiling at it. "Here we go…let's see then…Page 73, Sonnet 141…"

_In faith, I do not love thee with mine eyes. _

_For they and thee a thousand errors note. _

_But 'tis my heart loves what they despise, _

_who in despite of view is pleas'd to dote._

As he finished reading the poem Kaji turned to the red head. "Knowing that Miss Soryu has an opinion about everything, this exercise should be right up your alley…"

He began to copy the sonnet on the black board, talking while doing so.

"Everybody's got at least one thing he or she has to keep for himself …" Kaji turned to the top portion of the black board that still was free of writing and began to write again.

"So, this year we are going to go in a new direction; Creative Writing; by the end of the school year I expect to see an original take on this particular poem, preferably something with deep personal meaning from you all; it can be in poetry, or it can be in prose, so before you ask Kensuke…" He turned to the freckled boy who already had a smile on his face and his hand up in the air. "No, you can't videotape it; the only requirements are originality and for it to be written."

Kaji let several minutes pass, waiting for the chatter to die, before continuing.

"O.k. Shinji…" The brown haired boy gulped but kept a steady look on his teacher. "It has been said that the reason why Shakespeare's plays are so accepted worldwide is because of his knowledge of the human psyche; in Hamlet, for instance…tell me…"

For a about 10 minutes, Kaji kept asking questions, seeking opinions, probing and making his pupils reach assumptions and answers on their own. Just as the class was about to finish, Kaji turned to look at his students.

"Now I have already gotten the pairing system for the rest of the school year, but the writing assignments will be done individually; First pairs are as follow Hikari and…" Kaji decided to add a little extra to the nominations, however he could swear he could hear a faint chanting coming from the where 2 students laid huddled together.

It sounded curiously; something like _"Please Not Ayanami"_, entangled with _"Please Not Soryu"_…

"Izurumi, Mogudan…" Both boys looked up to the teacher. "Would you like to add something to the class..?"

They simply shook their heads. Kaji shrugged.

"Hikari, you'll be paired with Kensuke…" The kids on the back let out a sigh of relief, although four other people had a very unsatisfied expression on their faces.

"Ok… Mayumi you'll be paired with…" Again Kaji could swear he could hear the same chants coming from the same place. He was about to ask the kids in the corner when he saw Asuka's eyebrow twitching.

Kaji decided to let this dog lie.

"Mayumi, you'll be working alongside Mana…" Kaji kept reading the list and crossing out names. "Mogudan and…"

Somehow the chanting now resembled _"Please Ayanami"_ with the same words of _"Please Not Soryu"_. Rei paled. Shinji was clenching and unclenching his hand and Kaworu had a tick in his eye. Kaji frowned at this and was about to call Mogudan on his actions when a shrill shriek interrupted him.

"WILL YOU PERVERTS KNOCK IT OFF..?" Everyone turned to look at Asuka who was seething on her desk. Turning around, the red-head looked squarely at the other three.

"AND YOU…" She continued looking at Izurumi menacingly, however the boy was apparently a sadomasochistic as well as a pervert for he could only stare in admiration and lust at the irate redhead.

"YOU BETTER PRAY THAT I DON'T END WITH EITHER YOU, PIZZA FACE OR WITH FAT AND GLASSES OVER THERE, BECAUSE THEN WHAT HAPPENED TO KRUTTA WILL LOOK LIKE NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT I'LL DO TO YOU, _VERSTANDENER_ ..?"

The whole class remanded quiet at that, Kaji cleared his throat and decided to carry on as if nothing had happened. "Yes…well…Rei you'll be with…"

Mogudan raised his hand "U-uhmmm…Mr. Kaji, Sir…I haven't been given a partner yet…" He finished while turning to leer at Rei, his glasses flashing as they reflected the light from the outside.

Rei paled at that, her eyes going wide with fear. Kaji simply stood there, not knowing what to say as Rei pleaded silently with him. The pony tailed man turned to look at the list looking for a name any other name rather than Mogudan's

"Uhmm… yes Mogudan, what I mean to say was that Rei will be paired with…"

The faint chanting of _"Let it be Me"_ was briefly heard before a loud crashing sound, followed by a thud was heard on the classroom. Everyone turned around in surprise to see Shinji sitting down again, his literature book on the floor next to an unconscious Mogudan.

Kahji sighed at that. Jus then another young man opened the door and stuck in his head; his dark eyes glancing around the whole room.

"Musashi…" Kaji addressed the young man. "So glad you could join us…"

"What did I miss..?" The young man asked as he took of his jacket and beanie, brushing his bangs away from his eyes.

"Aside from the usual Mana vs Asuka throw down for intellectual reasons..? Only Shinji exploding against the dweeb squad over there…" Toji said as he high-fived the newcomer

"Oh…" Musashi said as he sat down, turning to give Shinji 2 thumbs up. "Nice man…"

Shinji simply sighed and shook his head.

"You really are stooges…"

------------

**The Two Noble Kinsmen, The Two Gentlemen, and The Merry Wives**

"Uhmm…Hello..?"

Kaworu knocked on the door simply marked as "A/V Department". After a couple of seconds it opened to reveal a sandy haired, freckled boy with glasses exiting the room, while carrying a medium sized duffel bag.

""Uhh…" The boy nin glasses fumbled as he came face to face with the questioning face of Kaworu Nagisa. "H-heyyy…uh…Kawaru..?" Kensuke Aida tried to remember his name, with little success.

"Kaworu…" The boy answered before asking his own question. "Why did you ask me to meet here..?"

Kensuke chuckled embarrassed at this as he made an effort to appear unassuming, while he tried to hide the duffel bag behind him.

"Well…me and my associates couldn't help but noticed that you seemed rather stricken by the lovely Miss Ayanami…"

Kaworu blushed at that. "W-what are you talking about..? Whose associates..? What Ayanami..?"

"Kaworu, it's obvious you like Rei…" Kensuke laughed as he explained himself to Kaworu. "However there s a small problem…"

"What do you mean..?"

"Look Kaworu, just follow me and I'll explain in the way…" Kensuke ordered as they began to jog down the corridor towards a side exit.

"So are you gonna help me meet her..?"

"It's not that easy chief…" A tall boy with purplish hair with bangs, dark tanned skin, dark eyes and dressed in a track suit said easily. "Hi I'm Musashi…Musashi Lee Strassberg…" He motioned to the other tall teen behind him, dark skinned and dressed in a track suit as well, but with short brown hair. The one in the back came forward and nodded at Kaworu.

"Hey…Toji Suzuhara…" He then began to twirl a basket ball on his forefinger. "Wanna shoot some hoops..?"

"Uh…sure…" Kaworu answered back. As Toji threw the ball at him and made his way to the basket ball court on the gym.

"There is something you should know first, about Rei…" Kensuke kept conversing walking behind them, fiddling with the camera to make sure he had Kaworu's attention.

"Rei isn't allowed to date…"

------------

"Hey Shinji…" Shinji cringed as he hard his name being called, just as he was about to sit for lunch. He turned in time to see two young women make their way to the table he was sharing with Rei.

"I heard you had a Bratwurst incident in the cafeteria…" The blonde began innocently, while Rei blushed and looked away. Shinji groaned at that.

"I-I…"

"Yeah…come on Shinji…tell us how it was…" Out of nowhere, Misato Katsuragi appeared, putting Shinji in a fake chokehold.

Shinji blushed and tried looked away.

"Did she touch your dinky..?" Satsuki pressed on, while Misato appeared to his side, pushing into Shinji, her breast pushing against his left arm. She kept her gaze thru half-lidded eyes, speaking in a low seductive growl.

"Did she brush her long, fragile fingers against your throbbing, quivering mem.."

"Misato, Satsuki…please…stop harassing the boy…" Ritsuko said in an exasperated voice, as she made her way from the cafeteria into the adjacent teachers lounge, only stopping to whisk the two teachers away by grabbing the back of their uniform jacket.

"I swear, you two are even more immature than the kids in here…" She ignored the protest of Misato, turning around to address Maya Ibuki, Kaede Agano, and Aoi Mogami. "Do I have to put both of you in detention..?"

"This is precisely the example Principal Fuyutsuki had in mind when he said 'teachers harassing the student body'…"

"Hey…" Both Misato and Satsuki protested, while Maya and Kaede stifled a laugh.

"You should be more careful Misato…" Kaede teased. "One might think you are actually two timing Kaji with Shinji…"

Shinji spluttered his tea, his blush now covering his whole face. "Mi-Miss Agano, it's not like that…"

"Aww come on Shinji, you can tell it to the world…" Misato said as she broke free from Ritsuko's hold, glomping the hapless child. "We are living together after all…" She whispered seductively into his ear.

"How did you ever ended up being our guardian..?" An stoic Rei complained, shaking her head. "Didn't our father gave you some sort of orders to follow while around us..?"

Misato paused, remembering. There was something in the quiet dignity with which Rei said it that made Misato feel like a fourteen year old for trying to uphold that stupid _Gendo Law_.

------------

"_In order for them to better acclimate themselves to this school some ground rules need to apply…"_

"_Ok..." Misato looked up her mouth full of ramen. Gendo closed his eyes and willed his face to remain emotionless at the display. "You're still paying the bill, right..?"_

_The older man decided to not even dignify that with a response; instead he withdrew a small piece of paper from within his coat and began reciting. _

"_No drinking, no drugs, no smoking…No dating of any kind…" Gendo made a pause, his colored tinted glasses reflecting the light before letting out a sigh and continuing._

"_No kissing, no tattoos, no indecent exposure, no piercings…"_

"_Well of course Uncle…I will look after their best…"_

"_Those were meant for you…"_

------------

"Hey…I will let you know that I happen to be a decent and qualified guardian for the both of you…"

The laughter that erupted both fro the children as well as the teaching staff in the cafeteria could be heard miles away.

It became louder when Misato's face changed color to purple, matching her tresses.

------------

Kaworu kept dribbling the ball as Kensuke kept working on his video recorder in the benches. Nearby Toji and Musashi were now playing one on one; their grunts, and laughs echoing on the otherwise empty gymnasium.

"Now, we have a problem, same as you but not quite…" Kensuke grunted. "Hand me the ¼ screwdriver…"

"And which is that..?"

"The one to the left…No, no…_MY_ left, not _YOUR_ left…"

"Sorry…"

"Anyway…first some back story…now, you remember what Shinji did to Mogudan back in Kaji's class, right..?"

Kaworu nodded. "He had it coming; he was leering at Rei as if she were…I don't know…something out of an erotic movie…"

Kensuke laughed at that. "Yeah, those two freaks have always been like that. Mogudan's have an obsession with Rei since day one, and Izurumi, his best buddy has a thing with Asuka…" Kensuke chuckled. "They used to be four; Mogudan, Izurumi, Krutta and Meguro. Krutta and Meguro had the same insane obsessions with Asuka; the only problem is Krutta was like a fat lard wheezing kid who would follow Asuka every where, even staking her inside he gymnasium when she had swimming or track practice…"

As Kensuke kept working on the camera, Toji and Musahsi made their way, Musashi putting on a head band to keep his purple colored hair bangs from his face.

"Wat'cha talking about..?" Toji asked as he grabbed a couple of bottles of water from the cooler and threw one to Musashi.

"I'm telling Kaworu here about the perverted four…remember them…?"

Musashi chuckled at that. "Yeah…how to forget them..? Remember that one time they stole the girls' gym shorts…when Asuka found out…man…" Toji laughed at that.

"I thought Krutta was fat, but seeing his fat ass in a wheel chair running from Asuka was hilarious…"

Kaworu looked from one to the other with a questioning look.

"What does that have to do with anything..?"

"Hate to break it to you chief, but you, going out with Rei is impossible…" Kensuke said not bothering to look up.

"Why is that..?"

"Well. For starters, Shinji would probably clobber you silly…" At Kaworu's questioning look Kensuke elaborated. "Rei and Shinji are half brothers; they live off campus with Miss Kasturagi, who's the homeroom teacher for 2-B…"

"Aha…"

"And he's overprotective as hell…"

"Now we are willing to help you with Rei, but we need some help with Asuka…"

Kaworu looked at them but said nothing. Kensuke continued. "Asuka and Mana live with Hikari Horaki and Mayumi Yamagashi on the girl's school dorms…"

"Yeah…and..?"

"Asuka is rather…" Kensuke strained for a moment. "I guess the correct term is possessive in her friendship with Miss Horaki and Miss Yamagashi, who both Toji and I have been dating, unbeknownst to Miss Soryu, for quite some time…"

"And Musashi here has been going out in secret with Mana…"

Kaworu took a minute to let everything sink in. "But why the secret..? And what does Asuka have to do with this..?"

"Well…" Musashi began. "It's a well known fact that after Krutta's and Meguro's…untimely suspension and subsequent expulsion from this institute, Rei's and Asuka's guardians…"

"Misato Katsuragi and Ryouji Kaji…" Kensuke supplied helpfully.

Musashi gave Kensuke a glare for interrupting him. "Yes, they decided that neither of the girls would be able to date alone…"

"Now we have a problem because neither Toji, nor I can see Mayumi and Hikari, and Musashi can't date Mana unless Asuka gets a date…" Kensuke took the center stage explaining everything as Toji simply nodded his head and Musashi let out an exasperated sigh for being interrupted again.

"I don't seem to follow…why would you…" Kaworu began but was interrupted again by Kensuke.

"Asuka refers to Toji, Shinji and I as The three stooges, and has deemed us two not worthy of to date her friends."

"And Hikari and Mayumi follow this insanity because...?"

"Sometimes it's easier to just comply with _das Überbitch's_ commands…" Musashi supplied as he leaned against the wall with his hands intertwined behind his head.

"And you…" Toji continued thrusting the basket ball towards Kaworu. "Can't get to date Rei because Shinji is really, and I mean REALLY overprotective of his sister…"

"So…we need both Shinji and Asuka to get a date so that we all can date…" Toji said as he gave Kaworu's back a friendly slap.

"And that's where you come in…" Kensuke finished smiling, his glasses reflecting the light in an eerily familiar way.

------------

"Uh Mr. Kaji I was wondering if…" Kaworu stopped short as he reached the door.

"Mr. Kaji..?" The gray haired teen repeated the question softly as he tapped lightly on the door in front of him. "Are you in there..?

"Uhm…Mr Kaji..?" Kaworu opened the door quietly.

"Come in…" the pony tailed man called from behind the door.

Kaworu slowly opened the rest of the door and stepped inside. Glancing around the room he noted the stacks of documents, some piled from the floor to the ceiling. Scattered about between the skyscrapers of paper were more paper, some with grades in them. Walking into the room he sat down in the chair directly in front of the man's desk.

"You wanted to see me, sir..?"

"Why yes Kaworu…" Kaji finished grading a paper before putting it away. "How have you been feeling these past months here at the institute..?"

"Uhmm…f-fine, I-I guess…" Kaworu stammered out.

"Yes; your grades appear to be going up, you have a decent attendance record..." Kaji peered at the report in front of him "Hmm…says here you haven't gotten anything even resembling a vocal notice from your Teachers or the class representative…" He whistled with appreciation.

"T-thank you sir…"

"However, I need to ask you a favor…" Kaji smiled at the boy. "I need you to tutor somebody for a class…"

------------

"Wh-what do you mean I need a tutor..?"

Shinji sat in front of Kaede Agano wide eyed and worried. "Miss Agano, I've always turned in my papers on time, and have gotten good grades, and have a good attendance record…"

"Yes Shinji I understand, however with the placement tests just around the corner, you are going to need more than a good understanding to round up the exams…"

Shinji closed his eyes and let out an exasperated breath.

"In any event, we already have a tutor assigned to you so you both have to get to study at homeroom in 5th period, which will happen in about five more minutes sooo…" Kaede added. "You better get going…shuu…scoot…"

"But I don't understand…" Shinji asked with frustration "Why do I need to understand Physics if I'm aiming for music and Humanities…" He turned towards Misato who sat behind him. Misato chuckled at that.

"Well Shinji, the thing is that if you want to go to a good university you first need to be accepted, and to be accepted you need to pass the placement tests, and to…" She paused when she saw Shinji was looking blankly at her. "Am I boring you..?"

Shinji blinked at that. "I kind of got your general idea after the first two examples Misato, so…yeah…I'm a little bored…"

Misato smiled in a playful and dangerous way. "Would you like me to take of my clothes to make it more interesting..?"

Both Kaede and Shinji turned beet red at the notion, while Misato continued to tease the boy relentlessly. "M-Mi-Misato..."

"I mean after all it is _soooo_ hot in here, I guess I'm gonna have to pop open some buttons…" Just as Misato was ready to open her blouse and show some more cleavage, and Shinji were sure he had reached the heaven of fanservice, Ritsuko opened the door adjacent to the teacher's lounge.

"What the hell is going on here..?" The blonde doctor asked as she closed the door, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "Misato didn't I just tell you to stop harassing the poor boy..?"

"Misato, close your blouse and hide your same…Shinji, close your mouth, clean your dribble and…" Both did as they were told as the doctor retrieved a cigarette and lit it up. She stopped short as she saw Shinji's hand cupping his nose. Ritsuko sighed and retrieved a handkerchief from inside her lab coat.

"Here…take this, put your head back and go lie down…"

As Shinji made his way outside, Ritsuko turned back to Misato. "Now I know why my mother decided against taking this position when they offered it to her…"

------------

"As I was saying, I need you to tutor somebody for a class…"

Just then another soft knock followed by the soft calling of Kaji's named was heard, before the door opened again.

"Hey Rei…" Kaji smiled at the blue haired girl that was standing in front of his door. "What can I do for you...?"

Rei blushed a little, unsure as to how to respond when she saw Kaworu looking intently at her. "Uhm-m…" She stammered as Kaworu turned around quickly.

"Yes Rei..?"

"I'm having some trouble with a class…" Rei let out a sigh and continued in a small voice, while giving Kaji a print out note. "And Miss Horaki advised me to look for a tutor for this class, and I was wondering if…"

Kaji studied the print out in front of him for a while, while he weighted his options, looking at the possible outcome. "Hmmm Rei, I think the only natural option for your problem would be to get help from Asuka…have you tried asking her…" Before Kaji could finish his question, he saw Rei look down at her shoes, evidently answering with a negative.

"Asuka and I aren't…" She paused, choosing her words carefully. "What I meant to say is we aren't really that…used…to helping the other out…"

"I see…" Kaji said a she locked his hands behind his head. "But she is the only one I know of in the whole institute who knows enough German to help you with level 3. Other than that…"

"German..?" the, until then, silent boy replied curiously as he placed his books on the desk.

Kaji blinked at this. "Yes, Rei here is taking German as an elective; she is currently on level 3, which is the highest level we currently have here." He turned towards the blue haired girl. "Rei, give me a minute and I'll see what I can come up with…" He turned and muttered under his breath. "I'll probably have to bribe Asuka into helping you again…"

"Uhm…Mr. Kaji…is there anything else you wanted to tell me..?" Kaworu asked as Kaji gave the young man in front of him a puzzled stare.

"Hmm…" Kaji held his chin, deep in thought. "No…I think that's it…" Kaji finished while addressing Kaworu.

"You may go now…" No sooner had Kaji said those words, Kaworu left the office, stopping on the corridor to look first left, then right. Not seeing anyone, he frowned and saw in front of Kaji's office a stairway leading to the upper floors. Without thinking, Kaworu took the stairs and repeated his earlier actions. Catching the retreating form of Rei Ayanami's back, he quickly made his way towards her, calling after her.

"Miss Ayanami…Miss Ayanami…" Rei stopped short when she heard her name, recognizing the voice of Kaworu. She turned towards him just in time to see him skidding to a stop in front of her. Her face never changed expression, although her eyes widened a bit at the notion of suffering a crash from him.

Only to see him slide past her.

"Mister Nagisa…" Rei smiled, despite herself; although she pushed her skirt between her legs to avoid any indecent exposure. After thinking for a second, she kneeled besides him.

Kaworu smiled at her from the floor. "I'm sorry…"

"No need for apologies, Mister Nagisa…" She said while he got up.

"I thought I told you to call me Kaworu…" He dusted himself off while Rei got up herself.

Rei smiled at that. "You did…Kaworu…" He smiled back at her.

Thank you Miss Aya…" Kaworu stopped short when Rei held her hand up.

"Rei…" Kaworu looked stunned, and then, smiled at her, nodding only once.

"Now what is it that you wanted to speak to me..?"

"I heard you needed a tutor for German…" Kaworu smiled confidently as he got his own German book from within his book bag.

------------

"What do you mean that I have to do this..?"

Asuka asked again, throwing the fliers, papers and related paraphernalia on the desk in front of her, resting her forehead on her arms as if she were asleep.

"Well..." Hikari began picking the papers and stacking them up, easily slipping back from Asuka-supporter to Class-rep mode "The board is making it a sort of community-service type of punishment, so...you have to be involved in a school activity, which is either a school club or tutoring."

Asuka exploded at that explanation. "Ach..! _Verddamtt Scheiß_…" She grabbed the school print out which had been given to her by Principal Fuyutsuki, crumbling it into a ball and throwing it at the far end of the classroom. She kept huffing and puffing for several more seconds before she let out a long sigh.

"Are you sure this is the only way to keep me out from being expelled from school..?" At Hikari's slow nod, Asuka slumped back to her chair, arms crossed at her chest and thinking about her options. Suddenly she leapt up, a bright smile on her face.

"What if I joined a sport club..?"

Hikari thought about it for a moment. She knew the implications these would have to the plan they had all devised. They had never taken into account that Asuka would rather kick a ball than kick a book. So she did the only logical thing she could do.

She lied.

"Well, the only reason they let you practice sport is because it's a mandatory school class..." Hikari let that piece of information sink in, allowing Asuka to digest it, to give it form and to expect something afterwards.

"YOU, however are banned from any and all clubs that are of a competitive nature and of physical-related activity."

Asuka looked like she wanted to contest this, but then thought it up and decided that was something likely to happen.

"How about a book of the month club or something like that..?" She asked, turning to Mayumi who until then had remained silent, hopping to not be noticed. Mayumi squeaked like a mouse at this and began to sweat profusely, being under the watchful electric blue eyes of Asuka Langley Soryu.

"N-NO..!!!" She shouted, blurting out the response.

"…" Mayumi gasped at the silence. When she saw that both Hikari and Asuka were gaping at her, but that Asuka had a twitch in her right eye and brow, she decided she needed to embellish her reasons, since she was sure she wasn't being considered in her family's health insurance and live coverage plan.

"Uhmm…" Mayumi began, looking down and playing with her twitching fingers. "W-w-what I mean to say was…uhhh…that…I-I think that your…intellectual…abilities are far more…advanced than those that would otherwise be considered your peers so…" She began to say, lowering her voice with each passing minute as she realized that none of her friends were buying her explanation.

"Mayumi…" Asuka began seriously. "You suck at lying…"

Hikari felt her breath hitch a ride to her throat. The whole plan was then resting in Mayumi's less than capable and very bad at lying shoulders.

Mayumi let out a sigh before continuing again.

"Sorry Asuka; It's just that Miss Aoi banned you after you ended the last book debate by throwing your book at the other contestant's face…"

Everyone let out a collected sigh out.

"So…I guess that means that the only other activity I have is the academic sort, right..?" Asuka asked dejectedly.

"I-I…guess…" Mayumi answered, blushing and still looking at the floor.

"Well who is the numbnut I have to tutor..?" Asuka sighed; pinching her nose and closing her eyes, feeling the beginning of a migraine take place on the center of her fore head. When silence was the only thing answering her she looked up to notice both Hikari's and Mayumi's flushed face.

That's when it hit her.

"…Oh God…don't tell me it's one of the stooges…"

When the blush deepened she let out a groan.

"Scheiß...Ok...who is it..?"

"…well…"

------------

"I don't get it…"

Mayumi looked from her book, still curled up in the sofa dressed in the school's signature track ensemble, listening attentively to the conversation. Hikari closed her eyes, turned around, finished preparing her tea, and tried to forget herself in the spicy smell.

"Remind me again why am I doing this..?" Asuka asked, crossing her arms like a petulant child. Hikari only sighed (an activity which apparently had increased exponentially after she had been paired in the same room as Asuka) and tried to explain it to her again.

Asuka listened intently as they made their way to the front door of the school dorm. It was snowing outside; not a blizzard, just the gentle falling of snow, blanketing everything, covering any available inch. Asuka waited patiently for Hikari's to finish before continuing with her tirade.

"But why do I have to do it..?"

"Asuka, I know you have an excellent point average, only slightly marred by your disciplinary actions, but there are some of those who actually need to study to pass tomorrow's test on Physics by Miss Kaede…"

Asuka smiled toothily at that. "Hey!! I was just asking a question, no need to bite my head off…" Hikari closed her eyes at this, still feeling somewhat angry to her friend for ruining her lunch date with Toji. Sure, she knew that on a scale of 1 to 10 Toji ranked somewhere along the lines of a -12, but still…

"Besides, it's not my fault that I already aced most of the questions from the take home test, and we still have until midnight today to send it to her, so we should go get a pizza or something…"

Hikari smiled at her, but inwardly cringed. She had to get rid of Asuka for this to work.

"Thanks Asuka, but I really need to cram it, I'll probably have to do an all-nighter just to get a decent grade…"

"C'mon 'Kari…I'll let you copy from me tomorrow…"

"What..?" Hikari tried to sound shocked, unconvincingly. "Are you asking me, the Class representative to get involved in a cheating ring..?"

As the minutes flew by, Hikari managed to soften up the red head, joking in and out, stroking her ego and letting her down easy for the next part of her plan.

"Like I told you Asuka…I need to cram it up…I-I'm…not really good at physics…"

Asuka looked like she wanted to press the issue, but saw the resolve on Hikari's face and kept silent, turning instead to the window to look outside.

"Hikari…"

The sound of her name broke the pigtailed brunette from her thoughts. She turned towards he bespectacled friend and saw her signal her watch. Asuka was still looking out the window into the whiteness.

"I need to go to Miss Aoi's at the library, if you want to, you can come with me and I can explain you some of the physics problems there…"

"_I'm meeting Kensuke in the library, and then we'll be sneaking out to go get a pizza; Toji will be there waiting for you."_

Hikari, smiled, understanding the code.

"Thanks 'Yumi, I still need to go to the room and get the books and print outs to meet you there…"

"_I still have to go to the room to change into something, go ahead, I'll meet you at the library…"_

"That's all right…" Mayumi smiled at this, excitement barely contained within her voice. "I have a copy of the prints with me on my backpack, and I'm sure Miss Aoi can give us a copy of the textbook…"

"_I have a set of clothes for you on my backpack, as well as some toiletries, lets roll…"_

Hikari smiled again, closing her book and standing up from the chair. "All right let's go…"

Both girls began to exit the lounge room on their floor, not bothering to turn around and look at Asuka. The tall-tale ding of the elevator a few seconds later announced to the girls the car was here, as the made their way inside and turned to press the button, both Hikari and Mayumi looked in shock as Asuka was standing behind them, got into the car, turned around and pressed the button.

"Asuka…what are you doing..?" Hikari asked, as she turned to look in worry to Mayumi, Asuka simply sighed.

"We are going to the library…I need to brush up on Kaede's Physics as well…"

Mayumi squeaked at this, and turned to look wide eyed and frightened at Hikari who was worriedly looking back at her.

_Uh-oh._

"Besides, I need to meet with the loser I'm going to be tutoring in Miss Kaede's, class any way…"

_Oh, der Scheiß…_

That was when they all arrived at the lounge. As Asuka opened the doors and came face to face with the person inside, she could only find one word to sum her feelings for this particular moment.

"You…" She said simply, narrowing her eyes as she saw who was standing there.

------------

_Author's Ramble:_

_I apologize for the delay; Work school and personal issues in the form of two beer infested weekends have taken their toll on me. _

_Another matter has been that I felt that the first part was rather…rushed; I don't like to do half-assed things, or be categorized as a hack, so I decided to invest more time on this story, hope you like the final product. And I apologize for any past and future misspelling; I revise the story every now and then, do some retooling and upload it again; nothing drastic, just take some things out or put some things in, minor stuff to try and not leave any loose strings, really._

_Kewpie dolls go for whoever recognizes the references of the teachers (Satsuki, Kaede and Aoi) as well as the perverts (Mogudan, Izurumi, Krutta and Meguro); Yeah I know the Trident project had a third wheel, Keita Asari, I'm still unsure whether to add him or not, so I'll have to see if the story needs another character running around, picking on Shinji and being picked by Asuka…_

_My thanks go to Adam Kamon for his pointers on "How to write Mana in 5 easy steps"; unfortunately, I fell asleep somewhere along the first lesson. Thank Adam for the words and reviews, your stories rock, and my little pet project cannot even begin to compare with your work. I guess you'll have to wait for "the knock-down drag-out brawl between Asuka and Mana", but I promise to do something about it; I just need the right settings, y'know…string bikinis…mud…oil…something equally slippery and glistening…_

_Zephyr, my man, thanks for the ideas, I believe that you are correct in all that you pointed out, however part of the story is still in development, so your ideas will make the final cut (I even tried to include some of them wit a few twists on this chapter.)_

_Hounza, it's an honor for me to receive your reviews, as well as your ideas, 2 out of 3 told me the same thing (you were the second one) which was my original intent, but I kept thinking it was way to obvious, I thank you for the ideas, and lets see if the twists I made are not as obvious as I think they are._

_To all my other viewers and reviewers, thank you for your time, I apologize once more for the delay, I hope you like this installment, and believe, I will not disappear throughout the night, leaving the fic unfinished; I may be a pervert, and a bit of a con artist, but a witter is not a quitter._

_Or something like that._

_Peace Y'all…_


	4. The Setup

_I shall use this space to cover my own ass: I do not own any of the intellectual property I use on this site (or story, in this case NGE and 10 things I hate about you/the taming of the shrew). _

_If you stumble across an original character of mine, feel free to pilfer it for your own amusement, as it would it be pretty hypocritical of me to tell you not to. _

_If you happen to own something that I have played around with here, please do not sue me. _

**Disclaimer taken from Agent Orange's own disclaimer, with minor differences.**

**The Setup**

"O.k. Class, settle down…" Kaede Agano said good naturedly, noticing all of her students were anxiously waiting for the final bell to sound.

"Yes. I am aware that this is the beginning of a long weekend, but I still have to give you all your grades for the physics midterm." The collective groan that emerged did not for one moment managed to erase the petite's teacher bright smile.

"Some of you did as expected." She continued, passing between the desks and handing the graded papers. She stopped at Toji's desk, and for a second glared at the paper and at the student, eyebrow twitching at his soft snores.

"Exactly as expected." She grimaced as she separated 3 papers, before continuing down the rows. The young teacher made her way back to the desk. All the students then began to put away their books and wait for the bell.

"However, there are some announcements I have to make." Miss Agano said, turning towards the black board.

"Miss Soryu, Mister Ikari, I really need to speak with you after class. Miss Horaki…"

The pigtailed girl gulped, then paled, then began to tremble. Hikari Horaki was the intelligent, straight A student; more often than not named Class Representative, sometimes bossy and scary, but with a caring and almost mother like character She had never, ever been called on by any teacher, she…

"For heaven's sake, wake up Mister Suzuhara…" Miss Agano continued, not looking up from her papers, and apparently not noticing the discomfort she had made Hikari feel. The snores coming from the boy next to her made Kaede frown.

Exactly at that moment the bell began to sound its chimes. Toji woke with a start, turned around in a daze and began to whistle as he cleaned his desk, yawning and stretching from time to time.

"All right…" He said offhandedly. "A long weekend with no impeding doom with the sour-kraut…exams or school work…" Toji chuckled. "What more can a man ask for..?" He said, still not noticing Shinji looking at him with a face that clearly surmised what each everyone's feelings:

_You really are a stooge._

Nor was he able to see the glaring teacher, an annoyed red head or an eye twitching pigtailed representative.

"Mister Suzuhara…" Hikari began, giving Toji one of her trademarked ear pulls. "You are supposed to stay awake for the whole duration of Miss Agano's class…" She inched her face in an attempt to threaten him, closing her eyes into narrow slits.

"May I have a word with you in private..?" She asked in a rhetorical manner, yanking him and whisking him away from the classroom.

Kensuke blinked at that, and turned to throw a glance at Mayumi. Mayumi simply shrugged and nodded at him, leaving without saying another word.

"Oww!! Hey class rep…that hur-wha..?" Toji said finally being able to put two and two together after leaving the classroom, followed by the other teens.

""Now then…" Kaede began once Asuka and Shinji were the only ones left in the classroom. "Asuka, Shinji…I'm gonna need for you to be study buddies for what's left of this course…"

There was a moment of silence as both teens digested what she had said, and then, finally they expressed their disbelief in the only possible way

"WHAAAAT..?"

---------------

Kaworu Nagisa sat with a little apprehension as he waited for the other members of the party. Silently, he sipped at his tea, feeling like a loser, as he was sitting in a big table by himself during rush hour from the institute.

"Hey, Kaworu…" He heard his name being called in the distance. Kaworu turned to look at Musashi, Toji and Kensuke, who were just walking into the restaurant.

""What are you doing sitting here like a loser..?" Musashi asked slapping the ash haired boy on the back.

"But you told me to wait for you and-"

"Come one…let's go to the back to play at the arcades…" Kensuke replied as he began to tug Kaworu back, not giving, or caring for the matter what he had to say.

"But shouldn't we wait for-"

"I heard there is this cool First Person View Shooter where you get to sit in the cockpit of a huge mecha and destroy other mechas…"

"And this is different from every other game you had made us play exactly how..?" Musashi asked as he and Toji made a beeline for the basketball sinking games.

"Well, the enemy mechas are really bizarre; one looks like a huge killer whale and there's this one that has paper thin ribbons instead of arms, and another one splits into two…" Kensuke began explaining, pushing his glasses up using his index finger, making the lenses catch the light and reflect it, bouncing of the surface of his glasses. "It's also super realistic; the whole cockpit seat vibrates every time you get hit, and you also get all these amazing cool weapons…rifles, bazookas, a kind of vibrating knife, a vibrating glaive, a vibrating sword…" He heard the snickers from both basketballs jocks and decided to ignore them.

"Now we know why you'd love to play it…" Toji smirked as he attempted to dunk the last ball before the time run out. "The vibrating seat is what sold you off, innit..?"

"Actually, I have seen both Hikari and Mana playing it several times…"

The following scene seemed to be right out of a "3 Stooges" movie; Toji had been shocked at that piece of information, making him throw the ball off.

Way off.

Musashi had attempted to catch the ball with his face, leaving his face with a bleeding nose and seeing stars, the ball had bounced from Musashi's face into an unsuspecting Kaworu who had caught it in his chest, however being unprepared to do so had stumbled backwards, crashing into another person and landing on his back. Hard.

The person he had crashed into simply went down, tripping the other one behind in a fashion similar to a domino effect. That person had caught onto whatever was available to steady the balance, that available being Kensuke who had gone down face first.

"What the hell is the…matter…with…." Toji's starting rant was cut short as he took in the scene that he had caused, as well as the way some of the most unfortunate were sprawled in.

As luck would have it, Kaworu had landed on his back in between Rei's thighs, mere inches from their apex, making her rest mainly on her butt, her skirt effectively trapped underneath him.

Kensuke had fell on top of Mayumi, his chin resting several inches upwards of Mayumi's crotch, looking at her face from within the pool of the girl's skirt. Both red-faced, but neither breaking eye contact.

Until a small cough made them quickly look separate ways. Behind them Hikari and Mana stood red faced, it was hard to tell if the reason was that they were either mortified by the compromising positions two of their friends were in, or because they had heard the whole exchange.

"You…you…PERVERTS…" Hikari screamed, one eyebrow twitching, her delicate hand tightly clasped into a small fist that seem to hold enough raw power to kill a fully grown man.

Whether it was directed at the couples on the floor scrambling to get up or at both jocks who were red-faced and starring at the angry Class Rep and Mana, it still remained to be seen.

"Well then…" Hikari began once they had all been standing up and properly seated at the ramen stand. "We should really come up with something to do in regards to Asuka…"

"I know…" Mayumi sighed. "It's getting harder and harder to fool her to think that Hikari and me are only going to study at the library. She has even considered hanging with us once or twice."

"At least we have the Kaworu and Rei phase completed, right Rei."

"Yes." Rei said as she demurely sipped her glass of tea.

"You were able to convince her..?" Kaworu asked, genuinely surprised. "From my only encounter with her, she really didn't seem the understanding type…"

"Yeah, no kiddin'…" Toji said as he ordered his fourth bowl. "Remember that time we had to work on the bulletin board project from Miss Ibuki's…"

"Yes Toji, we are all aware of the way she posted that notice on the institute's homepage, as well as having all searches for answers and exams inquiries redirected to the main page as well." Rei stated calmly, earning an angry glare form one embarrassed Toji.

"How did she ever get that picture from you any way..?" Mana asked between giggles.

"Yeah man, is it even humanly possible for someone to have their finger jammed so deep into their own nose..?" Musashi asked, follow by another round of laughter.

"I don't know…" Toji said as he attempted to look calm and collected, failing miserably in both accounts. "She's just lucky I guess."

"Unfortunately it isn't that hard to get lucky." Hikari whispered to Kaworu, sighing.

"So anyway…you never told us if you were able to convince Asuka to help you or not…" Kensuke asked Rei, coming back to the original conversation.

"Yeah, Rei, what happened..?" Musashi asked.

"Well…" Rei began.

---------------

"_You…"_

_She simply nodded at that._

"_What are you doing here..?"_

_Rei seemed to ponder her response before looking straight ahead at Asuka._

"_I came to invite you to accompany me for some ramen." Rei said in her usual direct way. "Miss Horaki and Miss Yamagashi are welcomed to come with, as well." Rei said as she turned around and began to walk away from the library._

"_Well…that's out of the blue…" The red head said in confusion, tilting her head to one side._

"_If you wish to not come with me then I'll-" Before Rei could finish Asuka shook her hands in front in a placating manner._

"_What..? And miss on a free lunch..?" Asuka replied. "Not on your life…" _

"_However …" Rei turned to look straight at Asuka. "There is a favor I need to ask from you." _

_Asuka smirked at that. "Figures…There's no such thing as a free lunch…"_

"_Quite right…" Rei admitted. "I seem to require a tutor for my Germany class…" She began before being interrupted by Asuka._

"_Well, you can just forget me helping you, wonder girl…"_

"_It's the opposite, actually…" The quiet pale girl retorted. "I came to ask you not to tutor me if prompted by a teacher to do so."_

_That made Asuka frown. _

"_What..?"_

_Rei sighed. "I would appreciate it if you were to tell any of the teachers or counselors that you are not able to tutor me for my German class."_

"_Look, Blue…" Asuka said as she walked quickly to keep her pace at par with Rei leaving both Hikari and Mayumi behind. "Not that I care what you're aiming at, but I'd like to be filled in the blanks…"_

"_I have a…" Rei paused, seemingly looking for the best adjective to describe her situation. Apparently she also needed to compensate for Asuka's convenient stupidity. "Suitable tutor…However, his credentials are not as good as yours; should Mister Kaji requests for you to tutor me, I would appreciate it if you could tell him you are not interested."_

_Asuka's patented smirk came back, only this time her eyes were narrowed into a fox like smirk._

"_How much are you willing to pay..?"_

---------------

"And..?" Toji prompted, asking for another bowl, again. "What you answered...?"

"I haven't gotten back to her yet. I implied I would think about it."

"So what are you waiting for..?"

"She asked for 50 thousand Yen…" Rei said calmly making the boys stare at her. "Per occasion…"

"Why that lousy…" Both Musashi and Toji began, before they felt the full force of Maya's and Hikari's glare on them.

"The point is rather moot, then." Kaworu finally said. "We don't have that kind of money she is asking for."

Mayumi looked at everyone before bowing her head. "What we need is a miracle, then."

"By the way…" Hikari asked turning around, noticing the two aforementioned students were missing. "Where are Shinji and Asuka..? Shouldn't they have already left the school grounds..?" She asked rather worriedly, glancing from one side of the restaurant to the other attempting to identify either the red head or Shinji.

"Asuka caught Izurumi trying to take some up skirt pictures of her while we were leaving Miss Agano's class." Rei said from behind her cup. "She took off after him while she promised a rather extreme form of corporal punishment."

Everyone simply looked at her, not really sure of what to say. Finally both Toji and Musashi simply shuddered

"It'll be Krutta all over again."

All of them nodded, not saying anything else. Finally Kensuke looked around and noticed some one else missing. Before he could ask Rei about her, she beat him to the punch.

"Shinji ran after Mogudan once he realized he had taken several pictures of me as well…" She looked at her wrist watch before continuing.

"By my calculations, they should be in Principal Fuyutsuki's office right now."

---------------

Kōzō Fuyutsuki sighed, showing his displeasure at the whole affair. He had always disliked being the authority figure, the bad guy, always feeling more at ease at being the bumbling, good-natured professor rather than the strict academic principal.

That did not to mean, however, that he never took matters into his own hands, because even though Kōzō Fuyutsuki was an exceptional teacher, he was also an excellent school administrator. There is, however, a little known fact about Kōzō Fuyutsuki:

When needed to, Kōzō Fuyutsuki had great bluffing techniques.

"I called you both in here today to issue a warning..." He said gravely. Pausing for effect, and to ensure that the message was getting clear to his audience of two.

In all his year as an educator and as an administrator, every morning Fuyutsuki liked to arrive earlier than required to his office, already with a coffee in his hand to enjoy the silence that remained early in the morning. He would go to his office sit down, and just relax, letting the strong aroma of fresh grounded coffee mix with cinnamon sweet pastries, taking him back to his early years as a teacher, before he became principal.

Looking at the couple in front of him he was forced to maintain the facade of a stern principal.

"This has got to stop."

They looked like perfect little soldiers; him in his dark blue Nehru suit, her in the same type of pant suit, only her jacket colored in a different color than her pants, as they were a virginal white. Both sitting down with their hands in their laps, reminding him that, even if Asuka made it looked other wise, Fuyutsuki was still the principal, he, therefore, demanded respect, dammit!

He prayed they were unable to smell the fear in him. Valiantly he pressed his luck, pausing, he began to leaf through the folder in front of him. Engrossed with its content, apparently reading an in-depth report from Dr. Akagi, throwing a nod and a grunt, as well as some "hm"s in for good measure.

In truth, the folder was filled with his vacation brochures, simply meant for it to look as if he were reading said report.

"I don't care how you do it, the random violence on school grounds using school material will not continue. This has been the third time this week Dr. Akagi has received Mogudan with injuries caused by books as well as diverse objects thrown at him. This time, however, he will have to attend school with a nose cast for the next three months, while Izurumi..."

He paused, sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose dramatically.

"Let's just say Izurumi should be glad that he is right handed for school related activities, with exams so near by. His left arm and wrist should be fully functional in two to three months."

He stood up and walked to the huge window panes in his office.

"I knew your father well." He began in a conversational tone, making the person addressed shrink and look at the ground. "He always felt you could do more than what you are currently doing, he had such great expectations on you."

He turned, around leveling both with a stoic, composed look.

"Which is the reason why it pains me to do what I have to do; the Nahayoshi family has issued a formal motion…" He said simply, taking the folder he had just read sporting the institute's crest and began to read from it, like a judge passing sentence.

"You are herby noticed of the following resolution as taken by the school board; Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langley Soryu are to be placed on academic abeyance for failure to comply with this institutions regulations as well as the students code of conduct as explained in sections 3.15 thru 3.22, as well as for sections 17, 21 and 23."

"WHAAAT???"

Fuyutsuki eased his hair back before looking at them both.

"As you can see all that is missing is my signature as well as Mr. Keel's, now..." He said leaning forward in an intimidating manner. He saw them both go limp at the notice.

"I can assure you that once Mr. Keel receives this letter he will sign it immediately, especially if you take into account the personal animosity both him and School superintendent Tokita have for Gendo Ikari."

"But why..."

"Now..." Fuyutsuki continued, ignoring the weak attempt at a reply. "It has been noted that even though both Mr. Kaji and Miss Katsuragi are supposed to be the guardians, chosen as so by this school board as well as the next of kin because they are school counselors as well as teachers, they seem to be unable to stop these students from disrupting any of the classes they attend." He paused before adding an addendum.

He stood up from his desk. "I understand Asuka's situation all too well, as I have dealt with both Krutta and Meguro in a swift and disciplined matter..." Before any of them could reply, Fuyutsuki held his hand up..

"However, since both Mister Kaji as well as Miss Katsuragi are either too lax or don't care enough, and it appears as though Miss Katsuragi seems more inclined to embarrass Shinji in the teachers' lounge rather than try to keep him out of trouble, I will create a special clause and enforce it accordingly for both of you."

"B-but..."

"The point is not for discussion." Fuyutsuki cut off the reply. "Enclosed within is a letter of resignation addressed to Guardians Ryōji Kaji and Misato Katsuragi."

Both paled at that. "B-b-but Principal Fuyu..."

"Shut up..." Fuyutsuki said coldly before continuing.

"If any other similar breach of the students code of conduct such as the ones discussed here are made by either students..." He continued, stressing his point. "Both of them will be expelled, and their guardians will be forced to resign their charge as well as their jobs..."

"Is this understood..?" Fuyutsuki finished. Both simply nodded, not saying a word.

"Is this understood..?" He continued more forcefully, letting them know he wanted them to say so.

"Yes..." both finally said softly.

"Dismissed..."

Once outside she fell to her knees, feeling them go weak at the notice, leaning against the wall to steady herself.

"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod what am I gonna do..?" She began to ramble, just as her companion began to walk to and fro in front of her, thinking about the situation.

"O.K. Don't panic; we…All we need to do is stop the assaults on general school grounds. Then we can-Oww..!" His rambling were cut short by someone hitting him on the back of his head.

"What the hell was that for..?"

"This is all your fault, idiot…"

"But I…"

"If that pervert had been taken care of like I told you in the first place, we wouldn't be in this situation to begin with…"

"Well, I don't like to resort to violence…I get enough of it from you..." He said simply, rubbing the tender spot on the back of his head.

That made her explode.

"You idiot..! Dating you was the biggest blemish on my whole life…"

His face darkened at that. "Well, believe me, you weren't a walk in the park either…"

"I can't believe I dated you…"

"Hey…this was a two way street; I could have just as easily have gone with Ma…" Before he could finish, she sank her nails on his arm.

"So help me God…" She said through clenched teeth. "If you even finish that sentence I will teach you the meaning of the word pain…"

Both stayed there staring into their eyes, glaring at the other one, until he finally broke it off.

"This is stupid; we should be thinking how to straighten this whole mess, not waste out time fighting." He turned towards her.

"Well…" She said crossing her arms. "I, for one don't plan on letting Fuyutsuki sign those papers."

"Well, what do you suggest..? Raiding his office at night..? Dressing in black and lowering ourselves with high tension wires..?"

"If that's what it takes…" She shrugged.

"You have been seeing to many spy movies…"

"Oh, stuff it… "

"Maybe you didn't hear Fuyutsuki clearly, but…"

"Fuyutsuki can kiss my a-"

"Kaji, Misato…" Before Misato could finish saying what she thought about her rear, Fuyutsuki's door opened and he poked his head out, a bored expression clearly written on his face.

"I can still hear you both, you know…"

A couple of minutes later, both walked by the courtyards towards the main entrance; Misato in a slow pace, hands crossed in front, glancing at her feet. Kaji with jis hands locked behind his neck, glancing up at the already darkening sky, a lit cigarette dangling idly from his mouth.

"Ugh…I can't believe it…What am I gonna do Kaji..?"

They both made their way towards the ramen restaurant that doubled as a karaoke bar located outside of the school grounds, Kaji had since long before resorted to tuning out Misato's complaints.

"I can't get fired…I need my job."

"Don't worry Misato, well do something…the only thing we need to do is keep your boy and my girl so busy they won't be able to jump neither Izurumi nor Mogudan…" He snapped his fingers. "Easy as cake."

"You don't get it…I can't be fired; I have expenses; my phone bill, my car my clothes, I had my sight on a new Gucci dress and a pair of Gucci glasses."

Kaji turned to look at her, giving her a "You're kidding" look.

"I still have 33 more payments to go for my car…"

"Gee…nice to know your priorities."

"You don't understand…I can't go back to live with my mom and dad…Do you know what would happen..? I'd be a laughing stock, I'm-"

"What..? An alcoholic..? A slob..? Over twenty ni-Oww..!" Kaji turned to her.

Misato stood behind him, knuckles cracking. "Would you knock it off you idiot..?"

She began to drag him to the restaurant. "We have to come up with a plan to tame that pocket monster of yours before she gets both our asses fired."

"I know, I know…but how can we make sure they don't get in trouble..?" Kaji replied as they walked towards the bar.

"Please…" Misato snorted. "Keeping Asuka out of trouble will be as easy as Shinji letting Rei date; we need to make them stay between school hours someplace we can keep an eye on them without their knowledge, at least until Mogudan and Izurumi leave school…"

"They live at the dorms…"

"Then you're gonna have to move Asuka out of the dorms and into your apartment." She sounded pleased with her logic. "That way we'll be able to keep and eye on both Asuka and Shinji, besides…" Misato continued. "At least Shinji hasn't graduated from assault into assault _and_ battery like Asuka has."

---------------

Asuka Langley Soryu was proud of who she was. Her first memory was of eagerly showing her mother and father her report card for elementary school. How the teacher had told her parents that she was a prodigy, even if she was outgoing and rambunctious and there's wasn't much of a filter between her brain and her mouth.

"Come back here you worm…" She said as she tore after the boy that was, just mere seconds in front of her. All of her life, Asuka had strived to be the number one in everything. For Asuka, perfection wasn't an option; it was a way of life. Academic perfection was easy for her.

_I guess she's a little too intelligent for her age._

Her mother, Kyoko had said back then, and in retrospective, Asuka had to agree with her mom posthumously. When she was young, she really had no sense of restraint, and once she was sure that, perhaps she'll never be able to acquire that experience necessary to know the things that one shouldn't say or do.

"I'm gonna open your gut and remove your innards with a spoon." Asuka screamed at the top of her lungs, her legs a swift motion of blurs.

This made her target run faster.

"I'm gonna ram my foot up your ass so far up I'll kick you in your tonsils."

Izurumi gulped at the graphical images that statement produced. He knew it was suicidal for any known living person, but especially for him, to try and get pictures of Asuka in any way. It made him an instant target if the volatile red head found out. So he did what every other sensible male would do when Asuka had discovered him hiding in the bleachers, taking pictures of her in that outfit.

"I let you off easy last time, but now you really asked for it…" She shouted behind him and Izurumi sharply made a turn to his left, panting, feeling his lungs break from the inside, but fully aware that if he stopped for even one second Asuka would get him.

And judging by what she had done to his friends Meguro and Krutta, it wasn't going to be in the least way as arousing as those daydreams of a bondage mistress Asuka were supposed to be.

A sudden gust of wind followed by a loud thud on the place he had been made him realize that Asuka was throwing at him whatever she could get her hands on; a broom, a mop, a bucket.

The top of a garbage container, whirring past him, being thrown as if it were a Frisbee.

A miscalculation from Izurumi's part drove him to a closed area; the walls ended in a dead end, only the backdoor to the outside of the school quad was there. And to his left another hall opened. Izurumi was about to run down that hall when the sounds of panting and wheezing stopped him.

A few seconds later, a figure was on top of him.

"Uh…" He stared in disbelief at the person in front of him.

"Brother..?" Mogudan Nahayoshi asked wide eyed, staring at his younger, more pimply, less fat brother. "Soryu..?" He asked teeth chattering. Izurumi merely nodded. He was about to ask Mogudan who what he was running away from when he saw.

The figure was hunched over, chest going up and down; a hollow, eerie, shuddering sequence of deep gasps echoing on the otherwise deserted hallway.

"Mogudan…" Shinji Ikari said in a low, cold voice. "I told you to stay away from my sister…"

"H-he noticed me…" Mogudan whimpered shaking, and just before Izurumi could state he too had the same problem, another figure appeared in front of them.

"Wunderbar…" Asuka smiled evilly, making both perverts sweat at the idea of divine retribution. Both turned to the other and after shrieking, they began scratching desperately at the closed door.

For a brief second the red head stopped, watching in fascination a Shinji took a running leap and dived directly for the two stunned, terrified and petrified perverts.

"Wh-Shinji..!" Asuka screamed looking at his enraged face. "No..!"

"Mommy…" Both brothers whined pathetically.

---------------

"Misato…" Satsuki Ooi greeted her fellow teacher smiling, which turned to a smirk when she saw Kaji. "Hey idiot…God, you both took your sweet time; I was almost tempted to get the good stuff before you showed up…" She said as she handed her a golden can.

Misato plopped down on the seat, pulled the tab and took a mighty gulp, letting the beer slide down her throat with the practice one could only acquire after years. After a second she gestured to the stand owner for another one without letting go of the first can. As soon as she received it she instantly pulled the tab and took it down in one swig.

"YEEE-HAWWW!!!" Misato whooped after finishing the second beer. "That's the way to start happy hour…" She turned to the bar tender to place her order.

"Okay, I'll take another beer, one big beef ramen, extra spicy, another beer, and a cup of spicy curry extra spicy ramen."

The manager simply turned to the back of the stand. "Mitsumi…bring me the Misato special #2."

"Bring me a bottle of vodka as well…" Misato said, grabbing Satsuki in a headlock, ignoring her protest.

"Hey, Misato, let go…c'mon…"

"Goldilocks an' me are starting the party…"

Kaji groaned sitting next to them. Next to him, Makoto Hyuga sat as well.

"Rough day..?" The bespectacled teacher asked in a conversational tone. Kaji simply chuckled at that.

"You could say that…" Kaji paused, taking a gulp from his beer. "Apparently the Nahayoshi family decided that both Shinji and Asuka had beaten their kids enough and are asking for them to be expelled."

"Wow…I did not see that coming…" Huyga said as he ordered his food. "So what are you going to do..?"

Kaji sighed, crossing his hands behind his head. "I don't know…on paper it's rather simple, keep both Shinji and Asuka, especially Asuka, from delivering any more bodily harm to any of them…"

"Well that's a solution. The question is how are you going to do it…"

Before Kaji could think of a response a pair of hands clapped both his and Makoto's shoulder

"Hey dudes…" Shjgeru Aoba, the school's music teacher greeted them, making his way accompanied by Ritsuko Akagi, Maya Ibuki, Kaede Agano and Aoi Mogami. He greeted Satsuki and Misato hi-fiving them.

"Yeah…the chug queens attack again…"

"Dear God." Ritsuko said making her way to the bar. "Are the drunken twins at it this early..?"

"Give her a break Ritsu…" Kaji said as Shigeru ordered a round for everyone. "We had a rough day."

"Why..? What happened..?" Maya asked, with Kaede and Aoi behind her blinking in curiosity.

"Well it went a little something like this…" Kaji began as they all kept quiet to hear the whole story.

---------------

This felt like a survival horror game; there was nothing to bee seen at the distance, and the rain and thunder clapping in the sky wasn't helping at all.

Of course knowing that somewhere nearby was a deranged lunatic trying to ram a branch up your anus and make it emerge outside your mouth wasn't much help either.

With a start, some one caught onto the sleeve from the jacket and pulled. The ground came crashing at high speed, and the shriek that was ready to emerge was silenced by a mouthful of dirt.

"Brother it's me." Izurumi whispered into Mogudan's ear, enveloping both in leaves and shrub, staying as close to the ground as possible.

"He's gonna kill me, he's gonna kill me…"

Izurumi, for once, showed remarkable strength of character, and pushed Mogudan's face deeper into the dirt. Against the background of rain and thunder he could see the outline of Asuka Langley Sohryu coming towards them.

He held his breath and pushed Mogudan further down the dirt now turned mud.

Asuka ran thru the open fields, mud splattering across every step she took. She was getting wet, and she was nowhere near to finding an open door to get back to the school halls.

The school's gym had a huge back yard which included a small forest. Izurumi and Mogudan had somehow escaped from the main hall and ran towards this area, and they were now hiding within it. Shinji had ran after Mogudan like a demon possessed, making Asuka run behind him, in part to try and stop him, in part to pound on Izurumi, and in part to laugh once this had ended.

She wasn't smiling now.

"Shinji, you idiot…what did you have to go and do that..?" Asuka fumed as she kept running against the rain.

As it was, the rain kept falling drenching everything in sight; she couldn't see anything in the distance, the visibility almost zero. Right in front of her, she could almost make out the image of a small shack, possibly used by maintenance to store random things.

On the shy, a loud rumble followed by the tall tale bolt of lightning struck. Asuka made a run for it, getting drenched in the process. She finally succeeded in getting under the thin roof, half of her still getting wet, half of her out on the storm. She made a grab for the knob.

And the door was locked.

"C'mon, c'mon open up…"

This was taking a turn for the worst, so after a few minutes of struggling with the door, one of them decided the best way to get in was to force their way inside.

"Hi-Yahh!" Asuka screamed, as she drove her foot in a side kick maneuver towards the door.

This was followed by a gasp and a groan.

"Owww…"

Behind her Shinji simply shook his head. He was standing underneath a close by tree. He made his way towards her.

"In case you aren't aware of this, this is a reinforced door." She shot him a glare.

"So are we going to have to wait here in the rain..?" She said as she struggled to get under the small rooftop and at the same time to huffing and flipping her hair, now wet and crossing her arms in front of her pouting. Shinji frowned, kneeling besides her and began to jiggle the doorknob, trying to force it open.

Finally Asuka had enough, she walked back and grabbed a rock and hurled it at a window pane before Shinji could say anything.

"I'll just add it to what I already have to pay to the school." She shrugged. Shinji sighed and very carefully cleaned the area of any stray glasses, and began to open the door from the inside.

"And how are you going to pay for it all..?" Shinji asked after he opened the door.

She smirked looking at his back. "I happen to have a business proposition blooming on the background."

---------------

"Are you serious..?" Hikari asked, sighing. This is all the money we have..?"

"We can probably come with some more, but we won't be able to fulfill Asuka's initial petition." Kaworu added.

"Ok…" Mana attempted to lighten everyone up. "So we have to come with a way to get the money or to make Asuka lower the original amount."

"Unless we come with a plausible way for her to be the majority of her on-school and off-school time with Shinji." Rei countered, making all the girls and Kaworu assent.

"Dude…" Musashi whispered to Toji and Kensuke. "Where did Kaworu and Rei learned to talk..? The cultured, snobbish channel..?"

---------------

"Any way, we should be worrying more about what are we gonna do…"

"O.k…so, the weekend is just beginning…" Shinji began.

"And the storm had been interfering with both your and my cellphone's signal." Asuka mumbled more to herself than stating something.

"The good news is we are inside school premises…" Shinji looked outside the small shed they were currently guarding themselves from the rain.

"Yeah, really nice…we're locked within the open space of the school gymnasium; so there's no way I can go to the dorms…" Asuka began, attempting to wring her soaked uniform.

"Nor any way we can contact our guardians." She rummaged through the small space. "Allthough in your case I guess that's a blessing…"

Shinji frowned but said nothing, looking at the ground, his back to Asuka. The only sound that could be heard was the wind hitting the walls and ceilings, the rain pit-pating the school grounds and the soft sound of clothes rustling combined with the faint smell of lav-

"Shinji…I'm gonna tell you this only once." He heard Asuka address him at his back.

"I'm gonna change into one of these gym uniforms, since I'm thoroughly drenched…" She paused, looking at Shinji tense. "Now, normally I'd make you go outside, and wait for me to change, however, you did manage to get us inside here, so I'll make a deal with you…you don't turn around and I'll change…however…" She glared at him, jabbing her finger into the back of his head for emphasis, watching him squirm.

"If you so much as turn around to peep, I'll rip your tongue through the crack of your ass, got it..?"

Shinji simply shuddered at the vivid image and nodded, turning around and staring into space, watching the falling rain. The notion of Asuka getting naked so close to him adding a new dimension to his senses, sending them into overload.

He could hear the soft rustle made by Asuka as she removed her soaked shirt and skirt, letting it fall. He heard the wet sound as the clothes were placed on one of the vaulting aides. He could smell Asuka's faint lavender perfume on the small space. He-

"Shinji…" He shuddered, feeling Asuka's moist, warm breath on his neck. "Take off your jacket…"

---------------

"So, what are you planning to do about Shinji and Asuka..?" Ritsuko slurred, trying to see through her sake cup only to realize it was made of ceramic, not glass.

"Why do I have to come with a plan..?" Kaji grumbled, before ordering another round.

"Because you're As'ka's guardian, that's why…" Misato hiccupped before continuing. "If she stopped being such a bitch and harassing Shinji as well as the rest of the class we wouldn't be in this mess..." She turned to Kaji. "And if you and that old fart Fusu…" She stopped, thinking hard, and tried again. "Fuyu…no that's not right…Futuyusuki had a set of balls on you, she would have been reeled back a long time ago."

"Sheay…" Satsuki decided to pitch in her 2 cents. "Instead all you and Futu…" The blonde seemed to be, like Misato, having a hard time as well spelling the name of the principal correctly.

Satsuki wisely decided to let it be.

"Instead you and him ever do is go all _uhmm…Asuka, since I'm a wuss and the old man is impotent please let us do our job and punch the kids in everyone's else classes_…" She ended in a rather poor attempt to deepen her voice and sound like Kaji, prompting all of them, including Kaji to burst out laughing at that. The blonde finished her statement by slamming her shoot glass on the bar.

"If I were her guardian..." She stopped.

"Yeah..?" Kaji said, not really interested but deciding to have a good laugh.

"Uhh…what were we talking about..?"

"Asuka..?"

"Oh yeah…" Satsuki brightened. "I was just telling Kaede, Aoi an' Maya that what that girl needs is a boyfriend, all that sexual frustration must have her going up the walls…"

"The only problem with that…" Kaji said. "Is the fact that she can't get a date. See, there was this one guy, Hikari had arranged a date with her and one her older sister's friends once…" Kaji countered, twirling now a shot of bourbon.

"And..?" Makoto asked, blushing when Satsuki snuggled close to him.

"She went to him to the fair, ordered a burger or something, went on some rides, and then ditched him. "

"Harsh." Shigeru observed. "It reminded me of that time this dork was trying to grow a set on him to ask Blondie for a date." He punctuated the word by grabbing Makoto in a headlock and giving him a noogie.

---------------

"Wh-what…why..?" Shunji asked as he felt her cold hands roaming his body. Asuka began to forcefully remove it from him.

"Since you're too much of an idiot to be a gentleman." Asuka answered as she wrapped herself in the soaked windbreaker. "I need it to keep from getting a cold." She muttered, shivering for a last time, making Shinji finally look at her.

Asuka Langley Soryu was beautiful; she really was a sight to behold.

Shinji held his breath; He couldn't argue that Asuka wasn't beautiful; Her vibrant red hair was now flattened against her head, several crimson strands looking coppery brown now that it was wet, framed her face in a remarkable way. Milky white skin that he was sure was also as smooth as silk. Piercing electric blue eyes; the kind that begged for you to look at, that made you loose yourself in them. A body that, judging by choice of clothes, which was the girls gym clothes; a white red-ringer t-shirt and the red bloomer shorts, had legs that could go on forever, and her chest...

Blushing, Shinji began to understand the perverted nature of Izurumi, Krutta and Meguro's obsession with Asuka. If he leaned forward a little he might be able to catch a glimpse of her ti-

No! Shaking his head, Shinji tried to clear his thoughts. He also, surreptitiously cleaned his nose. Yes, Asuka was beautiful, no one could contest that. However, for all the beautiful features her face had, it was always marred by a scowl; her lips either turned in an arrogant smirk or pulled down always showing displeasure. Asuka had the divine ability to drive everyone not strong willed or weak of mind insane.

Or make people invent new and exciting ways to bash and torture her, not that anyone would be able to stand up to her. Misato would probably would, while throttling Asuka's neck for good measure.

No, Wait. That was him.

"Are you even listening to a word I said, _dummkopf_..?"

Oh yeah...and her voice; when she was angry, which was often, her voice was a shrill scream that gave Shinji a headache of massive proportions.

"I said that I don't want you staring at me or my clothes. Pervert."

"Look, not everyone wants to ogle you…" He responded brusquely, going back to trying to open the door. "For the matter, I wouldn't want to get near your clothes, nears your shorts nor near your panties as you have accused all of us boys…" He said, still not looking directly at her.

For a long moment there was only silence, until the door finally opened.

"We can go stay inside to keep dry…" Shinji began quietly. "Then afterwards we can each go our own separate ways."

They both decided it was easier not to say anything, sitting side by side next to each other, waiting for the end of the rain.

"Say Shinji…" Asuka began, deciding to end the silence since the rain didn't seem to be going to let off any time soon.

"Have you ever kissed anyone?"

The only answer she got was the wide eyed stare from the boy.

"C'mon…" Asuka smiled. "You can answer me…"

"Where the hell did that question come from?"

"Well I'm bored…"

"That's no reason to go around and asking these types of questions…" Shinji huffed indignantly. "Besides it none of your business."

"c'mon idiot…we'll be stuck here for God knows how long, at least work with me on this one…"

"Well why would you want to know..?"

Asuka titled her head to one side, seemingly meditating the answer. "I happen to believe you can tell a lot about people just by kissing them…" She wet her lips and turned to him; a sexy, inviting smile gracing her lips. "You can actually tell the real me inside some you kiss…"

Shinji simply looked at her with a mixture of shock and…excitement..?

"W-well the...you know…and I…" Shinji mumbled, the color of his face rivaling that of an apple. Finally, he let out a sigh and closed his eyes, crossing his leg in lotus position and adopting a sage-like pose. "I don't think it's a proper question."

"Maybe…" Asuka smirked inching towards him, enjoying his discomfort "but I happen to think it's a very valid question…"

"So how about it Shinji..?" Asuka asked as she inched her way to him, crawling on all fours. "Do you want to kiss me…see if you can tell the real me..?"

Her voice had quieted down to a husky whisper, her lips mere inches away from Shinji's, her soft warm breath tickling them. Shinji could only stare at her, switching his sight from her pink, rosy lips to her clear blue eyes. Asuka never looked away, staying still. Slowly, very slowly, she closed the small gap until the briefest of spaces separated both lips.

And simply mocked bit the air in front of Shinji's lips, giving him a playful smirk, hearing Shinji's undignified squeak, as the young man paled at that, and turned his head quickly, trying to stubbornly ignore Asuka's soft laughter.

"You're so easy to tease…"

---------------

"But she's so pretty…" Aoi said as she sipped her cup of sake. "I wonder why she can't get a date…" She sniffled. "I wish I could have been like her…"

"I know…" Maya drunkenly agreed.

"Well the fact that she has been described both by the Upperclassmen and lowerclassmen as a heinous, contemptuous bitch might explain that…" Shigeru decided to pitch in his two cents.

"Red hair, blue eyes, creamy skin…" Aoi continued to drunkenly point out what she perceived as Asuka's assets. While Maya simply nodded

"Hey…" Makoto whispered to both Shigeru and Kaji. "You think they're les-"

"If you even think about finishing that question I'll have you neutered." Ritsuko interjected. "Not that there's anything wrong with it…"

"I think that's the reason why neither Maya nor Ritsu dated me in college…" Kaji drunkenly snickered

"That would explain why Maya never took me up on the offers to go get some coffee…" Shigeru replied in tandem.

---------------

"Arrgh…!" Asuka ragged somewhat dry and not freezing much as Shinji kept staring straight ahead into the rain.

"…and of all the people to get trapped in during the rain it had to be the wonder turnip..."

Shinji simply ignored her, although his hands began to clench and unclench.

"What is your problem..?" He softly asked. "Everyone's terrified of you."

"well they should, after all every time I pass the hallways, any idiotic pervert glances at my ass, flips my skirts gropes me, molests me and generally annoys me…"

"Asuka, I'm pretty sure those were simple accidents…except for Izurumi, Krutta and Meguro, but they got what they had coming…"

Asuka looked at him coldly before snorting and looking the other way.

"What would you know..? you are an idiot and a pervert as well…"

"Wh-WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM..?" Shinji asked finally reaching a breaking point after approximately 2 hours of suffering the verbal abuse. "IF SOMEONE EVEN BREATHES WRONG YOU PUNCH THEM…"

"IF THEY DIDN'T DESERVE BEING HIT SO MUCH I WOULDN'T EVEN BOTHER."

She turned towards him and got within inches of his face. "I MEAN LOOK AT YOU; JUST LOOKING AT YOU MAKES ME WANT TO PUNCH YOU…'

She began to count on his hand as she counted his perceived weakness. "YOU ARE A CLUMSY LECHEROUS IDIOT; YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE A MAN, YET YOU BITCH AND WHINE MORE THAN A GIRL; YOU BEHAVE LIKE A PETULANT CHILD."

"OH YEAH..? WELL YOU AREN'T SO HOT YOURSELF…EVERYONE'S AFRAID OF YOU,; THEY CALL YOU A HINEOUS CONTEMPTOUS BITCH. ALL YOU DO IS GET YOURSELF AND EVERYONE N TROUBLE, YIU LIKE BEING THE CENTER OF ATTENTION, BUT THEN YOU PUNCH ANY GUY WHO ACTUALLY GIVE HIS ATTENTION TO YOU."

Asuka stood there, her face unmoving, no emotion betraying her. "You don't know what you say."

Shinji huffed at that before scooting away.

---------------

"So how did you even ended up together..?" Shigeru motioned to Makoto after getting another refill.

"Well…" Makoto said, blushing as he remembered everything. "The fact was that Satsuki wasn't a really easy gi-Oww…" The bespectacled teacher rubbed his arm. "What was that for..?" He whined nasally.

"You were calling me an easy girl…What..? You thought I would put out at the first date..? Pervert..!"

"N-no…What I meant was that trying to ask you out was hard because every time I wanted to ask you out you would call me names and tease me."

"Well…" The blonde said in a snobbish tone. "I believe in tough love…"

"You know…" Maya said giggling. "I think I see a bit of Asuka in both Misato and Satsuki…"

"WHAAAT..?" Both drunken women asked simultaneously before turning to look at each other while attempting to intertwine their pinky finger. "CHEERS..! YOU OWE ME A BEER..! HAHAHAHAHA…"

"No, no…" Kaede interjected. "I totally see what Maya is drawing at…" She turned to Misato and Kaji.

"You always would call Kaji an idiot, and a moron and how dating him was the biggest mistake in your life…"

"Yeah." Ritsuko smirked. "Even though the sole mention of his name would make you blush, you would also spend your time shouting at him, and throwing him food and stuff both in school and when we went out."

"And Satsuki would also tease Makoto to no end." Maya smiled remembering those times. "And once, when she saw Makoto had left a book on several chapters of female anatomy highlighted and with special emphasis on the female breast she spent the whole week calling him a pervert, until we told her you were taking an AP Biology midterm."

"Yeah…" Aoi chimed in. "Afterwards she would see you and blush, that was when we knew she had the hots for you." She said as she ordered another round.

"Shut up you nerd…" Satsuki grumbled, although everyone knew inwardly she was smiling. "He was a pervert and a wimp, he took 3 years to ask me out. That was unacceptable. I deserved something better."

"But poor Makoto here would literally wet his pants when he imagined asking you out." Kaji added cheerfully. "Shigeru and I had a bet going about what you would do once he asked you out; I said you would punch him and ask him what took him so long."

"And the rock star over there..?" Satsuki pointed to Shigeru who was now on the stage with Maya, Kaede and Aoi entertaining the rest of the patrons.

"He said you would simply go 'O.k' and then turn and forget that ever happened."

"Well I hate to tell you this but it actually happened once Makoto was helping me with Japanese…"

"Oh yeah…" Misato said smiling. "You told me that…"

"I never knew…" Both Kaji and Ritsuko said at the same time.

"Well…the fact was that since I had lived in Russia for about a year before coming here, I didn't had a good concept of the Japanese language. My grades were slipping. Maya who was the class Rep then suggested I get some help from Makoto, since both Ritsuko and Aoi were already on the advanced classes, while Makoto was taking only two or three courses."

"So..?"

"So nothing…all those weeks studying together, we ended up hitting it off."

---------------

"What I want to know is how are you even related to Mana…" Shinji continued in a soft voice, not meant for Asuka to hear.

"W-who told you that..?"

"Mr. Kaji let it slip once he stayed at the apartment waiting for Misato." Shinji sighed. "Why do you hate her so much..?"

"I don't hate her…" Asuka muttered. "It's just that I don't get along with her…"

"But why..?"

Asuka let out an exasperated sigh. "Ugh! I don't know…sometimes I feel like she's just trying to show everyone she's a goody two shoes, and sometimes I think she really is a goody two shoes…" Asuka got up and began to pace. "She is always saying (spl.) yes or no when she should, never questions anything, never tried to be out of the ordinary…and (spl.) is always trying to be liked."

"Is that so bad..?" Shinji quietly asked.

"I was well liked by everyone at my old school…" Asuka said in an equally quiet tone. "Until I heard what some of my so-called friends were saying behind my back…" She smiled bitterly, remembering those times. "There was this guy…I kinda liked him…he was…well…different; he seemed somewhat rugged and dangerous; he would show at the school back door, to pick stuff up; he would smell like a combination of motor oil, leather and cologne." Asuka sighed before continuing.

"One of the girls…she wanted to go out with him, but he somehow ended trying to go after me…" She hugged Shiji's windbreaker closer to her body. "She began to spread some rather…distasteful rumors about me; that I was promiscuous, that the reason why my dad had enrolled me there was because he had caught me having sex…every time the story changed…in one version he was a friend of my father…in another it was more than one, or they were college students, and I was either drunk or high…"

"She was like my sister; I trusted her and she betrayed me…" Suddenly, she turned to Shinji, an angry expression on her face. "Why the hell am I telling you any of this…? Leave me alone…"

"My dad left me as well…" Shinji began after a brief period of silence, the only sound in the background was the rhythmically way the rain was pounding on the walls and ceilings of the shed. "I-I don't remember my mom that well…" He looked at Asuka's form sulking in the shadows. "And for a long time I was like you; alone and angry…but then I met Rei, and I found out I wasn't alone…I had a sister, a connection, and Misato was also there…as were my friends…"

"If you are trying to tell me I need to open up, save it idiot." Asuka said still not looking up at him. "All I need is myself."

"Sometimes you can't make it on your own." Shinji softly replied. After several minutes he looked outside and smiled.

"It looks like it'll stop raining soon…" He turned and stretched his hand towards Asuka. "How about we get out of here, jump the fence or something and go to the ramen stand outside the school for a cup of ramen..?"

Asuka was about to say no when a loud rumble cut her off. She blushed and looked sheepishly at her hands, resting in her stomach, before pointing her nose up and turning to a side.

"Hrmmph…I'll have you know that I'll go only because you are inviting me, but this is not a date."

Shinji chuckled at that. "I wouldn't dream about it. A date between you and me would probably be cataclysmic, to say the least."

"And you are paying."

"Obviously."

---------------

"Man…" Musashi grumbled under his breath looking at the bar section. "Those old gezzers at the far dim end are making a lot or ruckus, I bet they're having a party or something…"

Mana squinted. "I think that's Kaji over there…"

"Well, if Kaji is here, that means Misato is here as well…" Toji began twirling the chopsticks he had used previously idly between his fingers.

"You are correct…it appears Miss Katsuragi has taken control of the microphone and is determined to sing." Kaworu observed.

"If Miss Katsuragi and Mister Kaji are here, then Miss Akagi must be here as well…" Rei contemplated. "As well as Miss Ibuki, Miss Agano, Miss Aoi and Miss Satsuki."

"Well, if Satsuki is here, then that means that Mokoto and Shigeru are here…" Hikari ended, getting up. "Let's go say hi…"

As they made their way to the karaoke bar area, they could see Misato had convinced Satsuki into joining her on the small stage. Both women were singing in a rather off-key way, while, much to enjoyment of every male in the establishment, jumping up and down to the upbeat rhythm.

"Oh brother…" Ritsuko said slapping her forehead with her hand.

"Wow…it's so good to see our esteemed school counselor can sometimes kick back and relax." Musashi began his eyes still taking in every little det-

_Slap!!_

"Ouch…what was that for..?" He asked annoyed while rubbing the back of his head. Mana simply 'harrumphed' and crossing her arms turned to the other side.

"Hey kids…" The three men happily greeted their students, attempting to sound, and look, sober.

In the distance, Kaede and Maya were wrestling for control of the microphone at the karaoke stand.

Before a shrill shriek made them all avert their eyes from the drunken singing into another type of situation.

A rather…_familiar_ situation.

"Come back here you little pervert." All 2 parties blanched as they heard an all too familiar shriek. All of them turned to look at the back of an irate redhead running after a thin looking, dark haired male; both were zigzagging between the other students and grown-ups, all of them looking curiously as the loud irate redhead bellowed expletives and threats of bodily harm at the cowering male.

"It's not my fault though!" He said, jumping up and pointing at the redhead. He ran into the courtyard still attempting to explain himself as she kept running after him, throwing assorted pottery, cups and bowls at him.

"How is falling and groping me exactly not your fault, idiot..?"

"You keep blaming me for things that are not my fault; they're out of my control..!" He said, turning around and raising his voice and taking a few steps toward her, as she began to back up.

"You blame me for this, blame for that...always calling me a pervert…" He screamed, taking a few more steps.

He didn't know how he had managed to work up the courage to give the red-head a piece of his mind so quickly.

"It's abusive, and it hurts. I can't even fathom how many times you've punched me or kicked me…" The red-head was still taking steps back, but she ended up backing into the wall. Her eyes went from cold and emotionless to nervous and defenseless.

"You abuse me purposely more than I ever try to hurt you, which I never have. You just keep thinking that I do." Taking more steps forward as he continued.

"It's time things changed around here, time that you start treating me more as an equal instead of a punching bag to project your anger on."

"That's exactly why I hate you. You try to grope and fondle me while trying to seem innocent. You don't think of anyone else but yourself. Sometimes, I wonder what it'd be like if you would've never been accepted to the school or in class or lived with me in the dorms."

"I ALREADY TOLD YOU THAT'S NOT MY FAULT!" He yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Fine..!" She said, her face looking up at him her eyes threatening to burst into tears. "If you want to be an asshole as well as a lying pervert, then fine by me." She said as she turned to leave the restaurant.

"Wait." He said a bit forcefully, looking down to his feet. "If you walk away now, that's it. I'm not going after you…I'm not running after you anymore…"

"You never give me time to explain. If we're just going to begin everything again and argue and walk down the same path we always do, then we're through."

With that she fell to the floor.

"What are you saying..?" She asked meekly, hesitation and fear creeping in her voice, before so vibrant and loud.

"I just wanted an apology..." He said to himself almost hoping his female companion didn't hear him. "But I also want something else with you…" He finally looked up at her.

"I'm tired of running away from you, and letting you push me around and away from you."

In a blur of movement, the redhead was on top of him, kissing him desperately, almost as if her very life depended on it.

"Finally, idiot…" She panted in between the kisses that were turning the display of affection into something more akin to an R-rated movie. "Do you have any idea how I've felt for you all this time…all the name calling, the punching and everything; just so you could finally grow a spine and ask me out…"

Unbeknownst to the young couple, two groups were gaping at the revelation in openmouthed amazement. Not believing their eyes.

"Come on Naru, let's go back…" The young man said once he resurfaced for air, retrieving a pair of gasses and putting them on.

"O.k. Kei…" The redhead assented, taking his outstretched hand into hers, and walking away.

---------------

There are certain times a person gets an epiphany, a revelation so powerful, so magnificent that it appear to them as a clear, bright light. This happened to Kaji who turned to look at Misato, cupping her face in his hand.

"I've got it…" He began excitedly. "Misato…I know how to control them both, but we're going to need help…?"

Misato was clearly drunker than he thought, as she began to jump up and down on her seat clapping and cheering.

"Yay, we got it, we got it…" She turned to Satsuki drunkenly. "What do we have..?"

"Beats me…ask lover boy…"

"Hey, lover boy what do we have..?"

Kaji smiled. "I'll tell you once Shigeru, Maya, Aoi and Kaede finish doing an ass out of themselves, we'll need their help as well…"

Besides them, Rei, Hikari Mana and Mayumi held a similar look of self-realization.

Behind them Musashi, Toji, Kensuke and Kaworu realized that when it came to plotting something, they were outclassed and outmatched by the girls.

And in the distance and at the main entrance of the school, both Shinji and Asuka walked not hand in hand, but relatively close by. Not talking, but with a sense of calmness about them. The night air, cool and wet, made the night brisk, but neither of them seemed to matter, attempting to understand the person to their sides.

And if anyone could see them, they would have sworn that they were shooting glances at the other furtively.

---------------

_Author's Addendum to the Disclaimer:_

_Yeah…I obviously don't own Naru Narusegawa nor Keitaro Urashima, nor anything related to Love Hina, although I can see the obvious resemblance between the loud obnoxious redhead and her human wimp and the loud obnoxious redhead with antennae and her human indestructible wimp. (other than in that page from the Love Hina Chapter 10 from the manga)_

_Author's Pointless excuses:_

_Wow…Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and the like to everyone who is still mildly interested in this crap errr… I meant fanfic. I really hope each and everyone was able to pass the holidays with their loved ones (Me..? I'm still trying to understand how the hell am I gonna pass the holidays) As it is, some idiot from the 13th floor decided that I was worthy of something more than an internship, so apparently I'm working as the assistant of the assistant's deputy._

_Or something like that. Which is a good thing as I'll finally be able to pay for my cellphone bill. (I'm telling you, those overages are killers…if this continues, I'll have to change my current carrier to something more low-tech…probably a couple of hundreds of yards of yarn or string and some tin cans and pass them along to my friends.) _

_Well, this is the official third chapter. After some (one could argue much) tooling and redoing, I decided to follow Zephyr's advise and scrap the whole thing I had began with since it was rather slow. The problem with writing for me is that the beginning is always the hardest part to come up with, afterwards it all smooth sailing. Also, I am a perfectionist. I have 3 different drafts, and an alternative version for this chap before sending it to error809 (have I told you that you rock??) and decided to scrap them, I felt they were either too slow or too rushed. Also, as always life decided to rear it's ugly mug, some scanning problems and a new job, but otherwise, I feel this chapter was a nice tie in, not too rushed, some Shinji/Asuka development, and we finally are able to see how conniving and sneaky those damn adults and kids are._

_The references to BLP2 was included as a personal homage (which is a fancy way of saying rip-off)_

_Some thanks for the reviews and other notices._

_Arm-Slave: ding, ding, ding…you my friend get a kewpie doll._

_Rahhel: Thank you…glad you liked it._

_Imperial Guardsman: Thank you. You know, I could tell you, but wouldn't you rather I weaved the whole story for you..?_

_Lordkingtom: blush Thank you kind sir, I was really nervous with last chapter (as with this one) hope you like this one as well._

_AidanPryde001: Thank you, I know I have the occasional grammatical error (the horror!!) but I hope to catch them all eventually._

_Dark Carnage: Thank you!_

_Eclipse: Thank you for the kind words. I never planned for it that way…wait a minute…Nope I DID plan for it this way…I felt it would help me work and toy with the characters, Asuka, Rei and Shinji are no walk in the park to write and characterize, and I'm sure that Asuka and Rei may somehow seem OOC, which is the reason why I haven't taken on the boys just yet, but I felt the best way to begin this particular story was to ended it._

_Of course…every good love story need a more formal ending; I'm not hinting anything, I'm just saying there might be more to the finale than Asuka running away crying; it worked for 10 things, so I might be able to whip something up._

_Let's just hope I can convince Asuka to work with me on this one._

_BishiHarem: you are definitely earning the title of muse for me…in fact thinking you just became MY muse; thanks to your poem I got the idea (you know who to blame for this piece of crap BTW, LOL). I'm glad you have those thoughts of the other material, let's hope everyone else can see it soon._

_aegisZero: Thank you! I had initially planned for a different take on this, but somehow it ended up becoming 10 things I hate…thanks for the words, though._

_CerealKiller: Thank you._

_Raven6: Thanks man, glad you like it. As specified on the summary you can all blame/thank Ryoma's awesome Best Laid Plan for this little pairing. And last but certainly not least._

_Rakna: (in highly nasal voice) OH…MY…GOD…THE Rakna..? It really is you and you're really giving me a review,a nd I'm hyperventilation and..and..and…(o.k. breath in…out…in…out…) Rakna I am a fan, huge fan (TOILI and Chosen, props to Myssa BTW, rock SO HARD) so this review means a lot to me. Thank you._

_PS. you can also blame/thank Rakna for the Kensuke/Mayumi pairing._

_This is it…from here on (about 2 or 3 more chapters) it's pure romantic comedy angst, although not as much as Hamstadini who, even though is a rabid Rei/Shinji fan, I have to say that his characterization of Asuka for reality check was dead on, same as Andrew Joshua Talon…_

_The next update will be in some time…I have the basic outline, I only need to flesh it out, revise it, proofread it…etc._

_Also since this story is finally moving into Shinji/Asuka mushy territory, don't expect updates on 30 kisses, 30 ways; I had several stories already planned, but I felt some of the concepts were more akin to the story, so…_

_And finally, thank you all for the reviews both here and in 30 kisses._


	5. The Prestige

_I shall use this space to cover my own ass: I do not own any of the intellectual property I use on this site (or story, in this case NGE and 10 things I hate about you/the taming of the shrew). _

_If you stumble across an original character of mine, feel free to pilfer it for your own amusement, as it would it be pretty hypocritical of me to tell you not to. _

_If you happen to own something that I have played around with here, please do not sue me. _

**Disclaimer taken from Agent Orange's own disclaimer, with minor differences.**

**Based on Bishiharem's "One in a million"**

**The Prestige**

Kaji simply stood there, watching as everyone's eyes were on the departing boy. And somehow, he could almost swear a soft, rumbling cello growing in a vibrant _crescendo_, a clear anticipation clearly etched across all of his students faces.

He thought about saying something, surely, _SURELY_ as the teacher of the class he had more than enough authority to stop any student from abandoning his class.

But the moment he saw Shinji's face, the look of pure, unadulterated determination mixed with rage he knew there was no power over earth and heaven to stop him from doing what his heart commanded.

Because it was in both his and Kaji's nature, because he finally saw Shinji Ikari for what he was.

During his years as a student prior to becoming a teacher, Kaji had been baffled by the stories that spoke of heroes.

Heroes were apparently born, not made; almost every time a hero was made, was because of outside circumstances that forced them down a path they never wanted to take, and despised afterwards.

That was the nature of the tragic heroes.

They were forever doomed to see everyone they loved, everyone they had a connection with die, or go away.

Because mankind's greatest tales were tales of suffering, of misery unabashed, of a tragedy so great, so heart wrenching, so encompassing that it made the outsiders, the dispassionate reader, the person sitting on the movie theater look away once they figured the way everything was going to go down, that there was no way any other ending could suffice.

But he also knew that for all the poetic way of pointing it, Shinji was no tragic hero, and neither was him.

Shinji was simply a normal kid, just like he had been; A normal kid put in a normal situation, going after someone he obviously cared, not matter what might happen.

But unlike him, Shinji was no coward; was not easily driven away.

He was willing to go the mile, and do what was needed.

And Kaji…Kaji had simply given up, had walked away without looking back.

He remembered faintly a movie he saw once, while sitting in a quiet tranquility with Misato and that dumb plush penguin he had won for her during the spring festival; a plush, talking penguin who Misato had glomped like a school girl and had named Pen-Pen.

Misato was asleep, clutching the doll tightly against her breast, and there he was, his back resting against Misato's old couch, feeling her breath coming and going, watching a story about a burnt out cop, and ex mobster, a femme fatale and…a kid with a dog; an unlikely crew that would support themselves by bounty hunting, going like errant Jews from on place to the other. However, this was the finale, and he couldn't help but feel identified with the main lead, a man scarred by his past, both physically and emotionally, unable to love after the death of his one, his first love.

He had loved her so much he had blinded himself to the possibility of falling for the other female he had been with.

After the final battle, he emerged, victorious, but broken, limping, and bloodied; the remainder of his enemy could only watch in fascination as the tall, lanky figure with unruly hair walked slowly towards them from within the debris and the cloud of dust, his unkempt hair before a dark color now peppered with dust.

His last line hadn't been a soliloquy of life, nor a desire for everything to be different.

He simply raised his hand mocking a gun and uttered a muttered "Bang!'.

Then he fell forward, his star dimming until it was finally lost in the sky.

And then, a slow, sad string instrument began to play; the tune familiar, hauntingly familiar, executed with precision, with mastery, with determination. And even though the last notes contained a great variety of technical devices, they held a wide range of emotional content, something so compelling, so…intimate…so dark and intense, and at the same time so fragile, like a barley borne flame during a fierce winter night that could just as easily be snuffed, taking away it warmth and light, it made it painfully hard for him to understand.

That was when Kaji understood the nature of the tragic heroes.

That was when he knew, that in order for the both of them to grow and finish this vicious cycle, he had to leave her, and hope it was for the best.

That time, Kaji was sure he was walking the tragic hero's path.

Now, he wasn't sure.

"OK, class, let's see who else has something to add to this…discuss-" As he walked towards the back of the room, he ran across a folded piece of paper left behind on Shinji's desk.

With curiosity, he tilted his head to read it. Then he picked it up.

**In your own words and using any style, write your feelings and how you would express them using Shakespeare's Sonnets as basis. Ref Sonnets 141.**

The assignment he had given them. Kaji was unsure whether to unfold the note or not.

"Hikari, please read your work." He said absently, falling on the failsafe option of the class representative, as he unfolded the piece of paper and read from within.

"_A silent dream…To her, the world had always been like that…like sleeping in mute, unable to speak, unable to explain…Every time she awoke, she would go about doing her usual task, the normal activities everyone expected from her…but it pained her deep down; the many meaningless passing on the hallways whether going to classes, leaving to school, or for any other reason; she felt there was an utter sense of disconnection form those she supposedly knew so well."_

Kaji nodded, though it would seem he was listening attentively to what Hikari Horaki was saying, he simply nodded to the student as he thought of all those conversations he had had in the past with Asuka about boys and dates.

Asuka had always been like a bright fire; always either in the center of attention, or demanding that attention; she was playful, she was forceful, but there was something more to her. Something that had happened, that had changed her from a young playful girl, something that ran deeper than the death of her mother, or her estrangement with her father.

So when it came to the topic of boys and dates, she was always a little too vocal on her stand; she'd use words like unworthiness; they weren't nearly up to her expectations, a long shot of even being deemed worthy of her attention.

_Let the boys drool over her beauty, her intelligence, her remarkable personality!!_

Kaji chuckled when remembered as Asuka had uttered those words months before tragedy had struck.

_She was fine, just fine._

"That's excellent Miss Horaki,…" Kaji said automatically as soon as he realized the pigtailed girl was standing in the front of the class and staring at him for approval, unspeaking. "Miss Yamagishi, please…" He motioned to the bespectacled girl. Silently he folded the paper back an placed in his shirt's breast pocket.

As Mayumi began with her take on the sonnet, Kaji kept reading, sitting in Shinji's desk, now thoroughly curious about what the boy had written and unaware of the odd look his students closest to the desk were giving him.

But all was forgotten as the bell ringed again, signaling the end of the period, and all the students began to walk away.

Kaji remained behind. Lazily, he extracted the paper and began to read it again smiling, remembering, picturing the subtle changes that had happened, both with and without his knowledge.

"_But when she met him, the boy she had known for so long, the boy she loved to tease, to torture so very much, something simple became complex, and she realized, that all those times she had hated him, she had truly hated herself; he was like the mirror image she hated to see, the reflection from within she wanted to smash."_

She knew all their types: the jocks, the nerds, the sensitive poets, the delinquents… all so very stereotypical, yet some with the fascinating ability to try and charm her the second she walked into the room.

When she changed her way of being, becoming harsher, unapologetic, with a quick wit resembling spiked wires to drive them away she noticed how many were severely lacking this particular talent. She knew what they were all like, and she was bored with them, severely bored. They didn't appeal to her in any way.

She had never talked about what had happened in Germany, even when she trusted him implicitly and would talk to him about anything, Asuka had kept quiet about that incident, never breaking or saying anything to Kaji. Whatever it was that had happened, this had led her to make a decision.

She had made the choice to never let herself be drawn to a boy that way. It was sign of weakness, and she was far from weak. She was her own symbol of strength, independence.

She didn't need anybody except herself.

"So why is it that I'm feeling this way now..?"

He had mused then that maybe Asuka found the shy quiet boy attractive.

"Attractive..?"

"Maybe…In a way." Kaji grinned lazily, enjoying as Asuka blushed at the notion. "He may not be flamboyantly striking, maybe just cute." Kaji continued, watching as Asuka's cheeks, then face, then whole body became the same shade as her hair.

"Or maybe he's not the type to strut about, parading his looks. Maybe he's just charming." He added just as quickly, effectively cutting Asuka's incoming rant.

"Charming..?" The way she had muttered that notion, made it seem as if she had used turpentine as mouthwash. "Hardly." She had responded back then, tight lipped and declining to add more.

"Ok, maybe not charming…" Kaji grinned and sipped from his ever present cup of coffee. "After all, he is rather quiet and shy, reclusive around others. Maybe it's his intelligence…"

"Intelligent..? That idiot..?" Asuka snorted unladylike, but then again a lot of her actions were unlady like. "If his grades were any lower, you'd use a 'Z'…"

"Maybe his grades are plummeting from sheer apathy." Kaji grinned. "Which is why you're gonna help him."

Looking backing hindsight, it had been priceless, even if Asuka had given him the cold shoulder for the better part of the month, since, as days became weeks, and weeks became months, Asuka showed a remarkable transformation towards Shinji, just as he began to open more himself. But it was on one fateful, stormy night while he laid in his bed, willing sleep to come to him that he heard the soft sounds from the other room, and Kaji finally understood how the shrew had been tamed.

He knew something was up back on that night when Aoba had (_of his own volition, of course_) decided to add Asuka to the Music Department's quartet project. She had never gotten close to her old violin ever since Germany, and to hear her again, even when she scratched and messed up and screeched a little was still a treat for him, because it reminded him of the Asuka of days past, and he could still picture the sharp highs, the vivacious _allegro_ notes of the violin concerts she used to hold for her parents, and the look of utter radiance and pride and peace and tranquility Asuka's face held the next day.

Then came Shinji, and Kaji could remember all those nights both of them came back after practicing for the school concert, an ecstatic smile on both of their faces, how they had made a simple connection thru the music, and how far it had become.

He could remember the fragile notes, almost like glass, so shimmering, so bright during those long nights when Misato would come out (_under the pretense of the music being so loud_) with him and just…talk. No hidden feelings, no agenda, no posturing…just simple small talk like they did back when they were younger…back when they hadn't been bestowed with the responsibility of being adults, going back to being children stealing furtive glances of one another while the other one was busy doing whatever; how the soft notes would set the mood for whatever they would remember, for whatever they would talk.

It was always the music. Kaji was sure that the most beautiful music those two children ever played was always the one they played together; they complemented each other so well, it was breathtaking.

The whole concert had been breathtaking, the whole ensemble being played slowly and freely, perfectly intertwining harmony and melody and shyness and brashness and melancholy and cheerfulness and all the wide range of discrepancies and nuances and opposites that made Shinji and Asuka who they were.

Asuka's crisp notes, commandeering the attention of the whole audience, enticing them, playfully, just like her personality, like a playful wave, sometimes ranging, other times simply following it's own natural instinct, and Rei, carefully laying in the background, while sometimes taking the notes to surface and drown Asuka's own, then quickly going back to the background again, only to once again flow to the top; a breathtaking spectacular display of mastery and calculated expertise.

Kaworu was the bridge, as he had always been; the means to the end, the facilitator; although the casual observer may had mistaken him for another violin because of their similarity in size, closeness in pitch range and identical playing position it was obvious why he was a member of the young promises; his viola's timbre was what set him apart; its rich sonority, dark-toned and earthy tones, more full-bodied than the violin's. And the way he would change from a deep, grave rumble into a more mellow voice, playing inner harmonies was nothing short of exhuberant.

Then, there was Shinji, solid, silent, in the background, his somber notes silently setting the tone, the tempo, everything by which the music would flow. The shy quiet boy who was always trying to stay out of the spot light was comfortably taking charge of the music

He could remember all of this, because he had been awake last night when Asuka had returned back during the storm, he could hear the sorrowful notes that were uttered by a string instrument, and he could hear the quiet sobbing that came from within Asuka's room.

He knew this was all her sowing the seeds she had planted and he knew it was exactly what she deserved.

But still, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

Which was why he smiled when he read the last part and remembered something unique, something important.

People often say that music is the key to taming wild animals, and now Kaji believed it so. Because Shinji Ikari, while arguably not attractive in a striking way, nor charming since he was shy and quiet, nor overtly intelligent; he was, in fact, the embodiment of all things opposed Asuka.

But he had something none of the others boys did.

He could make music that would make her fall to her knees.

And ever since she heard it she hadn't been able to stand ever since.

"_And in that moment, she realized that her howl of anger had become a mere murmur, a stage whisper full of dread and anticipation and butterflies flowing around one's stomach like bats in a huge open cave. It was the sound of love unspoken, and that unspoken love became a deafening chorus; a thunderous shout, a cry for freedom and self realization that wouldn't be smothered, that couldn't be denied. Love unspoken became the loudest sound of all."_

"_And then, she awoke."_

_-----_

Wow. Has it really been that long since I last updated my baby? no wonder child services is looking for my sorry ass.

I would like to thank, first and foremost, a trio of very important people.

Blackfire and Fresh C; Thank you so much for taking the time to review this bunch of crap and turning it into something readable; really if any of you guys reading this can make hear and tails, it's thanks to these two amazing and creative writers who I have the honor and privilege to call friends.

Bishiharem: How can I go on doing this without your constant silent support? It seems like every time I'm stuck, you come out writing another marvelous piece that just has my creative juices going on resulting in another batch of poor deformed fanfics. Thank you very much Kiddo. I tried to keep this puppy down; I really did, so I hope you don't mind my being awesomely selfish by putting it.

To each and everyone of the reviewers from past, present and future: fear not I'm still around, alive, kicking and writing, if it's a good or a bad thing, I'll leave it to you, but thanks for showing me support simply by taking the time to read this.

I know I said the finale was nigh, and it is, bear with me as I continue wadding these treacherous waters, I hope you enjoyed it.

Peace out.


	6. The Outcome

_I shall use this space to cover my own ass: I do not own any of the intellectual property I use on this site (or story, in this case NGE and 10 things I hate about you/the taming of the shrew). _

_If you stumble across an original character of mine, feel free to pilfer it for your own amusement, as it would it be pretty hypocritical of me to tell you not to. _

_If you happen to own something that I have played around with here, please do not sue me. _

**Disclaimer taken from Agent Orange's own disclaimer, with minor differences.**

**The Outcome.**

----- -----

As they made their way towards the ramen stand, the peace and calmness both teens had between themselves felt like something anti climatic, an uneasy treaty made possible only if both chose to maintain the soothing silence accompanying them.

Of course Asuka felt like she needed to mark the rules of the game clearly

"Let's get one thing out of the way first...this is not a date..." She grumbled, not turning to look at Shinji, instead focusing her eyes in front of her.

"Yeah, you already said that…" Shinji sighed; it had been too much to hope for a quiet walk to the restaurant, get a bite to eat and then head home, into an environment he knew and felt safe with.

Right at this moment, what he wanted more than anything was to be in the apartment he shared with his sister and his guardian, and do the normal things they did on Friday after music practice; watch aimlessly and pointless television, while they ate takeout, Misato in the background grumbling about stupid paperwork as she graded the papers she had been too lazy to grade during the week, while Rei would just sit next t him in a soothing silence, reading a book and every now and then looking up to watch an event Shinji would point out on the TV.

Instead he was cold, he was wet and he was with Asuka. Shinji's train of thought changed tracks for the last word.

Asuka.

Shinji was the first one to admit that he knew very little about the redhead, other than she was the charge of Mr. Kaji, and that she was related, shockingly to Mana.

He was also aware that both redheads were the exact opposite of the other, or at least, he felt like that before the long chat he had with Asuka. Somehow, he felt a bit of a connection, or rather, a bit of comprehension for the German girl. He felt-

_Oh. Wait._ _She's still talking._ Shinji thought.

"...and people might get the wrong impression that's why..." Asuka turned to Shinji and glared at him. "Hey are you even listening?"

"Yes, you said that this was not a date and that I would be as lucky to be out with you..."

Asuka turned to Shinji, her eyes narrowing at his flippant answer. She had to admit those few hours they had spent during the rain in the gym room had somehow changed her view of the boy; he wasn't a stupid, whiny perverted idiot; he was only a perverted idiot, however she still doubted his intelligence.

She was also curios about the reasons why Ayanami had offered her money to keep Shinji occupied and to decline tutoring her in German.

"This is simply convenient...we're both hungry, we're both at the same place, and were both sitting in the same table because getting another one would be troublesome..."

Shinji frowned at that. There was something in her logic that made it seem so...true...

But on the other hand, she was technically insulting him.

"Besides, I wouldn't be caught dead having any kind of meal with you..." Asuka smirked, turning towards him, her familiar arrogant self in place. "Let's face it, you are in front of the great Asuka Langley Sohryu, and you are...well...you." She waved her hand dismissively at him.

"W-well..." Shinji answered. "What makes you so great anyway..?"

"The fact I'm beautiful and brilliant..." Asuka drew her fingers through her red tresses, flipping them and looking at Shinji's eyes. "Imagine...beauty and brains...Who could resist that combination..?"

"Yeah, yeah..." Shinji grumbled. "I should be grateful of being in your general vicinity..."

"Precisely..."

"And I would have to be something akin to a masochistic to actually like being with some one who has a long standing history of violent outbreaks..." Shinji quipped as he kept walking.

The sound of Asuka stopping made him turn around.

The view of Asuka's fist made him run as fast as his legs could carry him.

"I'll show you violent..."

And with that, Asuka screamed and took off running after Shinji's zig-zagging escape tactics; hot on his trail. Shinji decided it was in his best interest to not stop as Asuka was shouting him to do, so they ran past the restaurant entrance, across the streets and into the alleyways surrounding the various restaurants and locals located near the school, not caring for the amused glances people threw their way…

Just as Asuka ducked behind a corner yelling a string of colorful adjectives at Shinji in English, German and Japanese, Rei, Mayumi, Hikari and Mana were exiting the restaurant the other way around.

"What is it Rei..?" Hikari asked, noticing how Rei had stopped walking the minute they had touched the street. Rei shrugged into her school blazer.

"Nothing…I think I heard someone verbally assaulting someone else…"

"Yeah, probably my cousin harassing your brother…" Mana joked, smirking.

"It could have been the other couple, you know, they actually reminded me of both Shinji and Asuka." Hikari added thoughtfully, as the girls began to walk away from the restaurant.

"Y-yeah, they do seem to have that kind of relations." Mayumi added. "Although I don't understand how someone can stand being so…"

"Abused." Rei added calmly. "Love is a funny and strange thing; it makes normal sane people do stupid and crazy things." Rei continued talking in a dispassionate manner. "However, I do think that that particular couple have that strange way of expressing how they feel."

"Why would you think that..?" Mana asked. "The guy seemed obviously pissed off at the violent girl, he even told her in no uncertain terms to take a hike."

"And the girl reacted by being honest with him, which proves my point." Rei continued not even batting an eyelash. "It's confusing how people would behave so uncharacteristically in such a situation."

"You mean like you did with Kaworu..?" Hikari added snidely. "I have to tell you Rei, I never thought I'd get to see you become such a terrible cliché with a boy."

Rei blushed but kept quiet, while Hikari kept mortifying the pale girl with azure hair as they continued walking.

"You were all blushing and fidgeting, trying to be all cool and stuff..." She turned towards Rei. "Kaworu was also cute…all blushing and nervous, I think he bonded nicely with the boys."

----- -----

"I'm telling you 'Sashi…that Ka-Wo-Ru guy is gay…" Toji kept grumbling, elongating the syllables on the ash haired teen's name, as he and Musashi made their way towards Kensuke's house. The two missing boys had gone ahead to have "everything ready" as Kensuke had so eloquently put it.

"First of all, it's Kaworu, not Ka-Wo-Ru… and second of all; whatever Toji, you say the same thing about every guy you meet." Musashi grumbled, hand deep into his pockets.

"No, for real…my _gaydar_ is tingling." Toji said as he placed his index and middle fingers against his temples as if he were trying to will his brain to generate some sort of psychic response.

"When you first meet me you called me a fag and I had to punch you; when Kensuke was forced onto us on that school project you said he was hitting on you, and He had to punch you…" Musashi counted with evident boredom in his voice. "When Shinji came into school and presented himself on class you told him to take a hike and not to sit near you citing a _Fruit-less zone_." Musashi air quoted the last part.

"Yeah, but I was the one who punched him."

"And ended up the following 3 months in detention with old man Tokita." Musashi sighed tiredly. "Do you see a pattern?"

"Well ok, those three were a dud, but you gotta admit that Ka-Wo-Ru looks really girly."

"You're sounding like a retard when you say it like that. And besides, what's your point..?"

"What if he hits on m-us..?"

"If he did, I doubt he'd go for the butch jock type; he'd probably be more into the delicate, artistic type."

"Like Shinji."

"Dear God…" Musashi groaned. "Now you're gonna tell me Kaworu is talking Rei up so he can shack up with Ikari."

"Well. It's possible." Toji fiercely admitted. "I mean, look at him all prim and proper, soft spoken and-"

"It's called cultured and refined; it may come as a shocker to you, but there are people who do other things besides playing sports and read other things besides comics."

"Kensuke says they're graphic novels."

"Kensuke's a nerd."

----- -----

"It's very generous of you to allow us to stay at your apartment tonight…" Mana began. "I completely forgot about the schools lock up system not allowing us to go into the dorms…"

"That is not a problem Kirishima…" Rei said quietly. "What worries me is the state in which our guardians could show up later tonight…"

"I'm pretty sure Kaji can take care of himself, as well as Miss Katsuragi." Mayumi said softly besides Rei.

"I'd be more worried about those two taking care of the other." Hikari interjected mischievously. "I can't believe those two actually went to continue their partying somewhere else."

"Yeah, now I won't be able to look at any of those teachers under the same light."

"They are only human." Rei said quietly. "And as any human being, in the event of a free day, they intend to make use of it."

Mana chuckled at that statement, but remained silent, tempted to continue talking with the girl besides her, but also relishing in the tranquility of a late night stroll.

"Kirishima, I need to ask you something, and require you to be truthful." Rei asked suddenly.

"Sure Rei, and call me Mana."

"You are aware of Shinji's feelings for you, are you not..?" Rei coolly ignored Mana's request.

Mana gasped at this, she had sensed the question to be troubling Rei during their awkward conversation, but was prepared for the bluntness in how it was delivered. She turned to look at her and saw Rei's eyes still positioned on the road ahead.

"W-well, yes, I know that Shinji has a bit of a crush on me…" She began, a small blush gracing her features. "But…"

"The reason why I'm asking is because part of Miss Horaki's plan is to try and set him up with Sohryu, and I would like to prepare ahead for any contingency that might arise."

"Well…" Mana squirmed. "I-it's not like it is a top secret mission of who gets to bag Shinji."

"Hardly. The other point to consider is the need to come with a plausible explanation for Sohryu's involvement with our daily activities."

"We-well…what if we tell him that Asuka thinks he's cute." Mayumi ventured to the pigtailed girl, several steps ahead of the other girls, discussing the same topic.

"Please Mayumi." Hikari snorted. "First of all, have you ever seen Asuka refer to any one of the boys at school as anything short of perverted idiots..?"

"W-well no, but-" Mayumi stopped as they arrived to the front door, waiting for Rei and Mana to arrive.

"Besides, this isn't some lame story where Shinji suddenly becomes a popular stud that has all the girls in the vicinity head over heels for him." She said as Rei and Mana finally made their way to the front door.

"Those are not even believable in harem mangas." Rei said stiffly. "It took both Shinji and myself the better part of 3 months to convince the student body we weren't involved in an incestuous relationship." She said as she glared at Hikari's freckle covered face.

"Well…" The pigtailed brunette chuckled nervously. "What was I supposed to think when I go to Miss Katusragi's house to give her the checked printouts and Rei answered the door dressed in a long shirt and Shinji walked behind her brushing his teeth..?"

"I still don't understand why you had to shout to us both that what we were doing was immoral, especially considering our family history." Rei continued. "I do not see Shinji like that. Besides, incest is wrong."

"Well…" Mayumi squeaked. "Historically speaking…Y-you are his half sister and-"

"**Incest. Is. Wrong**." Rei punctuated each word forcefully, leaving nothing open to debate.

"We're straying off topic here…" Hikari reminded the girls. "The plan is to save Asuka and Shinji from being expelled for assaulting those two perverts."

"Agreed, and from what I could understand, Mister Kaji plans to get them both to be paired together on all of their assigned classes."

"That would explain his chattering with Miss Mogami, Ooi, Agano, Ibuki, and Akagi, as well as with Mister Huyga and Mister Aoba."

----- -----

"So we have them pretty much occupied during classes, I don't see the point of having them together afterwards." Toji noted as he continued to get a severe beating from Kensuke on their current video game match. Musashi looked up from one of Kensuke's more risqué Graphic Novels and looked at Toji with a look of incredulity.

"C'mon Toji, you seriously can't be that stupid."

"He can." Kensuke chuckled as he began to fiddle with the joystick and buttons, engaging in a special move that filled the screen with light and blur. "Remember that one time during lunch break when he actually went to Asuka and asked her if that was her real color and if he could see if the carpets matched the drapes..?"

"Oi!, That was a stupid dare." Toji defended himself and selected another character.

"What about that time she stepped on your cap and you flipped her skirt up..?"

"And then you dropped your pants after she slapped you…"

"Wow…" Kaworu muttered. "You really are stupid."

"S-shut up fruitcake…" Toji screamed. "And you better stop calling me stupid."

"Ok. How about we call you slow and dimwitted instead..?" Musashi smirked.

"That's it…" Toji roared and launched himself towards the other jock, locking themselves in a freestyle wrestle. Kensuke watched as both teens grappled against the other rolling around the living room then turned to Kaworu.

"Hey! Your idea of moving all the furniture actually paid off."

Kaworu watched the entertaining to some, but for him rather disturbing spectacle as Toji kept grappling with Musashi.

"HEY MAN! HANDS OFF THE FAMILY JEWELS!!" Musashi screamed and kneed Toji in that same area.

"Is he gay..?" Kaworu asked Kensuke in a low voice, pointing at a groaning Toji.

Musashi's and Kensuke's snorted laughter was answer enough.

----- -----

"Hey idiot, wonder girl." Asuka greeted Shinji and Rei in her typical fashion, entering the doorway and waiting for both siblings to get ready.

"Hey." Shinji answered dejectedly.

"Good morning." Rei's answer, although formal did sound a bit colder towards the red haired girl.

"Are you ready to go..?" Asuka questioned impatiently, watching as Rei and Shinji got up from the small center table and placed their cups and plates in the sink to be washed once either of them had returned.

"Give us a minute…"

"Where is your louse of a guardian..?" Asuka began uninterested, as Shinji zipped his jacket. Rei was already putting her shoes on. "She knows today is her turn to be homeroom teacher for class 2-B, right..?"

"Shinji woke her up before beginning breakfast." Rei provided, fully aware that Shinji wasn't going to strike a conversation with Asuka. "She should be out shortly."

"Great, let's go before she offers to ride us to school again.…"

All three exited the small apartment, not waiting for Misato to finish. Moments later the purple haired guardian exited the bathroom leaving chaos on her wake.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God…" Said guardian shrieked, exiting the bathroom while hopping on her left foot, putting on her boots. Her screams could be heard to the ground floor, just as Shinji, Asuka and Rei made their way towards the school grounds.

"Kids; in the car on the double…" Misato began as she peeked her head out noticing the absence of said kids.

"Where did they go..?"

Meters away, Shinji, Rei and Asuka made their way quietly to school; each thinking how to get through this particular day, their faces reflecting their current sate of mind.

----- -----

"What are you doing here..?"

It's really easy for Asuka Langley Sohryu to get angry. She has been regarded to be the same as an explosion; with fiery red hair, and a personality to match, most people tend to get out of her way; most people, that is, except her close friends.

And those dumb enough, or desperate enough, to need something from her.

In the case of the group of female students currently flocking her, it's the first reason.

"Well, Miss Sohryu…" The first student, an anonymous from the bunch, someone that can easily be addressed, and just as easily be forgotten began with apprehension.

"We heard that the reason you are always paired by the teachers with Ikari for any school project or activity is because you are both secretly engaged and…"

"WHAAAT..!!"

The shrill shriek, emanating from Asuka could be heard thru out the whole gymnasium, making all the other girls stop whatever they were doing.

"_Mein Gott_..! This has gone long enough…"

One of them somehow managed to make the soccer ball she was kicking to go flying past the goal and straight into the chain-link fence separating the girl's area from the boy's area, scaring known perverts Izurumi and Mogudan, who were using gym hour to ogle at Asuka and Rei.

"Let me make this perfectly clear for both of you…" Asuka exploded, as she turned, pointing at a startled Rei. "And you, Wonder girl…you are gonna help me explain to these losers why I am being forced to spend time with that pathetic loser your brother is…"

Rei gasped when she found out Asuka was aware of her current position, but regained her coolness immediately.

"He is not a loser, this is as much a punishment for him as it is for you…"

"Ha! As if…" Asuka retorted, just as Mayumi, Hikari and Mana were jogging towards the small group. "I bet he suggested this to Fuyutsuki and Kaji, and that drunken slob of a guardian you both share just as surely also played a part on this…"

It was at this point the girl who had started everything timidly raised her hand.

"Uhmm…" She began, stuttering. "I-if you could please explain to us…" She turned towards Rei, figuring it was better to deal with her than with the irate Red head.

Rei sighed at this and cleared her voice.

"It was something like this …"

----- -----

_As Asuka opened the doors, she came face to face with the person outside. In front of her, Rei simply stood there, waiting for the red head. Noticing this, Asuka could only find one word to sum her feelings for this particular moment._

_Before the words could exit her mouth, though, a faint sound made her look past the blue-haired girl in front of her, down the staircase, noticing for her distaste…_

"_You…" She said simply, narrowing her eyes as she saw who was standing there._

_It took a minute for them to acknowledge their positions. She was standing in one of the stairs several centimeters in front of him, and he was staring right up towards her._

_Having a good view of her underwear._

_Blood slowly began to trickle down his nose._

_"Uhm...I-I..." Before he could finish, a solid slap had been connected to his face, with such force that it had landed him on a heap in the floor._

_Asuka stood there, her whole body trembling with anger and fury, looking down at the fallen boy. Asuka's face darkened, like an oncoming storm, her eyebrows knitting into a tight frown, her lips curled into a familiar snarl, almost like a blood thirsty tiger that was__ready to pounce on her victim. _

_"Izurumi...! Run..!!" Mogudan yelled from the other side of the library._

----- -----

"Wait…" one of the girls interrupted Rei. "That's almost as possible as you and Sohryu becoming some sort of pop culture icon or idol…" The whole bunch simply nodded at that, walking behind the two girls as they all made their way to the girls changing room to put on their bathing suits for swimming practice.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean..?" Asuka asked, turning around and facing the startled student.

Rei frowned at the jive but chose to simply answer the question, ignoring Asuka's flaring interruption. "My assumption at the time was that Izurumi and Mogudan were looking for either me or Sohryu, or both, to stalk us."

There was something in the quiet dignity and dispassionate tone Rei used that made everybody simply look blankly at her.

Asuka decided then that Rei had seized the spot light for enough time and choose to relate her side of the events.

"Obviously those perverts were after me, it just so happened that _THEY_ met me and the twerp here as we were making our way to the library with Hikari, Mayumi and Kirishima."

The way Asuka spat Mana's name made everyone aware of the animosity between her and the other red head, who stopped changing and turned to glare at Asuka, but chose not to say anything.

"Any way, what happened next was this…" Asuka continued, tying her red tresses in dual ponytails, getting ready to exit the changing room into the indoor pool.

----- -----

_Both perverts ran towards the library, hearing behind them the promise of a thousand untold horrors and tortures courtesy of Asuka Langley Sohryu._

_However, as they neared one of the corners, Izurumi grabbed Mogudan by his pudgy neck, pushing towards the wall and using the momentum to turn as quickly as possible, this action caused Mogudan to dive to a side, delaying him for some vital seconds in the process as he tried to turn the corner and run down the corridor; Izurumi himself had bolted at the notice like a frightened rabbit, but Asuka leapt forward, almost as if her legs had powerful springs in them; one minute she was crouching to gain momentum, the other she had her elbow firmly planted on Izurumi's back._

_"ACK..!" He yelled as they both went down, Izurumi holding his camera over his head so he wouldn't fall on it. _

_"Help..!"_

_"Jetzt hab' ich dich!__" __Asuka grunted as she wrenched Izurumi's right arm sharply across his back. "Du bist tot__..." Asuka screeched, pinning him to the ground with a forearm across the back of his neck. "Give me that..!"_

_"NOOOO.!!" Mogudan yelled as he dove out the door to beat Asuka's climb to steal the device from Izurumi's wildly waving hand._

_She planted a foot in the center of Izurumi's back, ignoring the pained gasp form the skinny boy and lunged again, driving the breath from Izurumi and cracking a few ribs in the process before grabbing Mogudan by the waist. "Damn you perverts, give me that..!"_

_Mogudan shrieked like a little girl, staggering away and keeping his prize held out of reach. "But we have such great picture from you and Ayae-OWW..! SHE'S BITING ME!"_

"_Why can't she bite me..?" Izurumi asked himself still in pain, while he saw his brother's desperate fat face, before Mogudan threw the camera with all his might forward into Izurumi's hands._

_Unfortunately for Izurumi, he wasn't able to grab it and fumbled with it once, twice before it sailed again in the air towards the door, which just happened to be opened by Shinji, entering the library, determination clearly written on his eyes._

_"The pictures...! Catch...!"_

_Which turned into blue saucers as he saw a digital camera flying his way followed by Mogudan's shriek. Shinji, simply cringed before the camera smacked him in the face._

----- -----

All the girls were now sitting next to Asuka and Mayumi, dipping their feet into the pool water, Rei, Hikari and Mana emerging and easing their slick wet hair back.

"No way…so Ikari is a pervert too...?"

"That is not accurate…" Rei said before Asuka could say anything more. "He was there for another reason…"

"What reason..?"

Rei blushed, turning towards an equally blushing Mana who decided to submerge herself again.

"I…do not have the liberty of saying."

----- -----

"_Uh…Y-you…I mean…H-hi…" Shinji finished with a pathetic sigh, his face cast down, not daring to look in front of him._

"_Miss Kirishima, you're probably wondering what am I…" He began before being cut off._

"_What are you doing here..?"_

_The question echoed in Shinji's ears, as he stood there, simply staring in front of him._

_Into red eyes._

_Rei simply stood there, opening the door that led to the library hall but not entering the library, concern written clearly on her face. Shinji sighed, frowning at his feet before looking in front of him once more._

"_I'm really pathetic…" He ended pitifully, looking at his reflection on the glass pane, before replacing the morose look in his eyes with a fierce resolved look, and walking in long, purposeful strides towards the library. Rei simply frowned and followed her brother's retreating form._

"_Where are you going..?"_

"_Mana is in the library…" Shinji said as he stopped in front of the library door, turning towards Rei. "I'm gonna tell her that I like her…" He finished opening the double doors._

_He never saw the stunned look on Mana Kirishima's face, as she flattened her body to the wall for fear of being seen by him._

"_Did you hear?" Rei asked softly, while Mana simply nodded._

----- -----

"Admit it Wonder girl…" Asuka said as she emerged from the water. "That no good brother of yours was in with those perverts Izurumi and Mogudan since the beginning."

"But…" One of the girls interrupted before Rei even had a chance to answer. "We all know that Shinji is really overprotective of Rei, and that Mogudan has been stalking Rei ever since he saw her."

"So what's your point..?" Asuka asked as she climbed out of the pool.

"Why would Shinji team up with Mogudan if we all know he'd rather punch him..?"

Asuka stood there, quietly taking this in. After minutes of thinking, she gave her best answer.

"How the hell should I know..?"

"Any way…what happened next..?"

----- -----

_Enraged, Asuka pushed the fat pervert forcefully to one side. "Shinji! Give me that or I will kill you!"_

_"Wait, Asuka..!" Shinji cried as she leapt for him, as Asuka hit him high, flipping him nearly onto his head._

_"Oof..!" _

_"You..!" Asuka yelled, landing on top of Shinji and grabbing the camera before throwing it against the wall, making Izurumi fall on his but, whimpering as his precious pictured were no more._

_"Oww!"_

_Her glare turned towards Shinji as he tried to get away form her. Asuka grabbed both of his wrist and held them over his head, straddling him, pinning his lower body between her thighs and his hands on top of his head with her hands. "You...You! Perverser! Hurensohn__!" She punctuated each German word with a squeeze of her thighs. "YOU SUCK!"_

_"Oww! Asuka, it wasn't my idea..!" Shinji protested, bucking his hips, trying to reverse his position on her while attempting to roll her to the ground._

----- -----

"WHAAAT..!!!" The girls chorused shocked at the graphic depiction.

"Hikari, 'Yumi…it wasn't like that…" Asuka shouted mortified.

"We're only calling it like we saw it, Asuka." Hikari finished with Mayumi simply nodding her head, assenting.

Behind them, protected by the wall, Izurumi openly wept.

"Why couldn't it be me..?" He cried as Mogudan attempted to comfort him and still take pictures of Rei emerging from the pool.

"It was at this moment that Miss Mogami chose to appear at the school library, followed by Mister Tokita." Rei explained flatly.

"Oh…"

"O.k. girls, that's enough chit-chat." All the girls stood up as a young woman, clad in the school's gym uniform of white/red ringer t-shirt and dark blue bloomers came into view, her long blond hair tied neatly in a high ponytail, peeking from her red cap.

Satsuki Ooi looked at the red head and smiled ruefully at her. "Sohryu…you know the drill…"

Asuka got up and walked towards the changing room. "Yeah, yeah…take a shower, change and go wait for the pervert to finish his music class…"

----- -----

Shinji walked slowly thru the halls, shuffling with his book bag to take some papers, not seeing in front of him, which led to him bumping into someone he wasn't expecting to see there. And now, they were both on the floor.

"Oh…I'm sorry…" He stated, getting up, bending down to offer his hand, before noticing the person in front of him.

"Oh, it's…you…"

Red eyes blinked at him in curiosity. "What are you doing here..?"

Shinji shrugged. "I was going towards the music room." He offered his hand. "What about you..?"

Rei took his hand. "I was going to the room as well…" she picked her own bag and began to place her books inside it. "Mister Aoba said that I need to practice on my violin solo."

"Yeah, he told me the same thing about my Cello solo…"

Both siblings began to walk slowly thru the halls.

"How is your punishment going..?" Rei asked after the silence stretched for quit some time. Shinji merely shrugged.

"Well, I understand Misato and Kaji saying that I nee to pick up my scores, but I still don't understand why they chose to pair me with Asuka."

"I think that was meant as a punishment."

"Well that's cruel and unusual punishment if you ask me." Shinji added ruefully.

Just then, Rei did something she rarely did.

Rei smirked.

"Funny; she said the exact same thing about this arrangement."

This made Shinji pout in an unmanly manner, stuffing his hands into his pants pockets.

"Go ahead and laugh it of, Rei…I'd love to see how you would feel if it were the other way around."

"As it is, you are the one who has to suffer the consequences of your actions…I will only remind you of all those times I told you I did not require your assistance with handling Nahayoshi."

"You are my sister and I needed to do something about it." Shinji answered back, still shuffling thru his notes. "Besides I only roughed him up a bit."

"You threatened to, and I quote, rip a new body orifice so he could expectorate his bowels."

"Rei, has anyone ever told you that you talk like a hostess for the discovery channel. You could just say rip him a new a-"

"I chose to maintain a certain degree of civility in the way I refer to anything in particular, and will not stand so low as to use your exact same brutish words." Rei rolled her eyes, while Shinji snickered at that.

----- -----

At first glance, anyone would confuse Shigeru Aoba with a stereotypical metal head; He had long straight head, and although he had to wear the standard uniform all teachers had to wear, whenever no one was around and he left his jacket opened, one could see that the under shirt always had some rock group's name on it, and during the weekends, one could actually see him strumming his guitar and singing covers and original songs.

However, Shigeru was actually the head of the music department, and right now he was on a mission.

_Or at least he will be once I finish greasing him up_. Kaji thought as he kept bullying Aoba.

"But Kaji…"

"Look, Aoba, I already told you, there is no place in the school budget for the music department other than what has been assigned to extracurricular activities…" Kaji calmly replied, taking a sip from his cup of coffee. It had been pure luck that the school faculty had entrusted him with overseeing the teacher's acceptance of the new budget policy proposals.

It had been a stroke o good luck and insight when he realized he could make this work in his favor, and Misato's by making him keep his job.

"But there should be something we can do about that…" Aoba huffed as he kept checking the logs and pie charts, thinking Kaji was doing him a solid favor.

"You can do a rally…"

"A rally..?" The disbelief in Aoba's voice was as thick as the caffeinated liquid Kaji tasted, remembering that he had swiped the cup from Misato.

"Yes, a rally." Kaji smirked, while he threw away the offending drink. "The same way the cheerleaders get the extra money they need for the uniforms, or the way the AV club get those expensive toys they use. A rally."

"The Athletic Department doesn't do anything like that." Shigeru said with a pout, coming eerily close to throwing a tantrum.

"That's because the Athletic department had been from where most of the all-state basketball rooster comes from for five consecutive years. Not to mention 4 of the actual board members."

Without another word, Kaji got up from his chair and exited the lounge, stopping next to Shigeru, offering a last piece of advice.

"The only way _you_ can convince the school board of assigning more resources for extra curricular activities and sending them over to the Music department would be if you did something out of the ordinary."

"Like what..?"

_Oh God, not again._ Kaji silently griped. "Remember that brilliant plan we talked about a week ago..?"

"Ugh…All I can remember are endless bottles of Yebisu as well as sake cups, and the wonder two singing awfully bad karaoke. " Aoba pointed out, referring to Maya Ibuki and Kaede Agano's collective name

"How about a concert..?" Kaji asked, on the verge or throttling Aoba's throat. _It has to be the decibels of his speakers that have diminished his higher brain functions._

"Pfft!" Shigeru snorted. "The only kids with an ounce of music on their genes are Ikari and Ayanami."

"Not really…the new student, Kaworu Nagisa is also good…" Kaji paused, attempting to recollect his thoughts.

"Yeah..?" Aoba asked surprised. "How good..?"

"He has been a regular attendee to the city's "Young Promise" music gala for the last three years…"

Shigeru Aoba whistled, clearly impressed by this. If this kid Nagisa had attended this gala, that meant he was more than a young promise. Better yet, the only other two students currently enrolled in the school who had also been attending this gala were, in fact, Shinji and Rei.

"And..?"

"I took the liberty of assigning him to some after school activity. He is currently en route to your special music class today at four…if you can get him and Ikari to play a sample tune together, then you might be able to better gauge his musical prowess."

"Interesting…" Aoba muttered. "So what instrument does he play..?"

"I believe he plays the viola." Kaji said, waiting for the wheels in Aoba's brain to begin to turn. _I don't think he's that du-_

"Yeah so..?"

Kaji sighed, deciding Aoba might need a diagram and some pictures after all.

"And if I'm not mistaken Ayanami plays the violin, and Ikari plays the cello…"

"So you're suggesting a string quartet..?" Aoba asked, thinking about the possibilities.

_Eureka_. Kaji thought pleased.

"Well…Chairman Keel is a big fan of classical music, and I'm sure that if you were to arrange a performance by such an ensemble, if done correctly, we could be discussing a different budget for the next year."

"But I'd still be one violin short…" Aoba muttered. Kaji was about to propose a student's name, but decided to sit back and watch. Aoba looked down the hallway and realized class would start in 10 minutes.

"It's a great idea Kaji; let me give it some thought, after all, now all I'd need to do is get another violin player…"

As he watched the young music teacher walk down the hallways to his scheduled practice Kaji thought about the possibilities, measured every angle and watched everything for anything left a miss.

----- -----

Kaworu tested his violin again, humming softly to himself and attempting to replicate the hum on the chords. It wasn't until he had attuned the strings to his taste that he took a big gulp of breath, and began to glide the bow across, the notes breaking the stillness of the classroom.

He held his breath, making the note touch the highest _alto_ he could allow the instrument to play, then letting the string mellow back, intertwining the _alto_ with the _basso_, then quickly climbing to the _alto_ again, playing what was in his head, not a set of notes written on paper.

Then he quickly wrapped it up, smiling to himself as he let the bow stay a while longer, relishing on the intense vibration this created on the instrument and its strings.

He held his serene smile, until he heard a firm clapping behind him, startled, Kaworu turned around quickly, entangling his feet together and landing in his butt unceremoniously.

"I was about to compliment you on your good form but I feel now that might have been a rushed judgment." The voice, while delivering the words in a dead panned tone, somehow retained a sense of whimsical laughter, some sort of ethereal sense of humor, something not easily seen or appreciated by the normal sense, but still there, which made it the more precious to Kaworu.

"A-Ayanami…"

"It is good to see you again Nagisa…this is my _brother_, Shinji Ikari…" Rei continued, stepping aside to let Kaworu stare into the eyes of Shinji who had a questioning look in his face.

"Nagisa…" He rolled his name in his mouth, trying to place the feeling of familiarity before asking again. "You are…Kaworu Nagisa…right..?"

"Y-yes." Kaworu got up, extending his hand to Shinji.

Rei looked back and forth, her red eyes unblinking. "You two have met already."

"Yeah, it was during last year's philharmonic _Young Promises_ concert." Shinji smiled. "You're Sonata No. 1 was superb…The way you made the keyboard and violin interact in various ways throughout the piece was awesome…" Shinji gushed, while Rei simply shook her head muttering the word _geek_.

"I'm glad you liked it…the violin echoing the tune of the keyboard _was_ tricky, since the two are required to move in synchronicity. The violin would sometimes double the tune, especially when the keyboard was providing the bass." Kaworu agreed while Rei gave him a disbelieving look, muttering again.

"I have to agree with you both; it is quite a lively and light-hearted work."

From the classroom door, Shigeru Aoba had a peculiar smile, some would say a smirk, on his face.

"I see you've meet the new member of our little club, Mr. Nagisa…It's a good thing you are all here, saves me the hassle of waiting to introduce you all." Aoba shrugged." "I also got us some new strings…" He continued walking towards the back of the room, leaving the children in the center.

"O.k. kids. lets tune 'em up..." Shigeru Aoba smiled at his current students.

Silently, Shinji began to tune his cello, plucking the strings, feeling the sounds flow thru the wooden instrument. There was an art in myself; he kept plucking the strings, tuning them to his heart's content. He smiled ever so often feeling the cello, grow, transforming into a tree, setting roots deep in the ground as the notes began to hit lower and lower notes, sounding almost like a bass. He pictured nature, waterfalls, grand majestic flows of water, surrounded by the ever present blue tint of the night sky against a starry backdrop that seemed to pulsate, to absorb and disperse the very sounds emanating from the cello he held.

Kaworu closed his eyes, losing himself on the subtle rumble emanating from his viola, a grand, noble tunes slowly resurfacing, accompanying, enveloping the bold notes that Shinji drew forth, complying to the setting and the mood, the tempo and the timbre.

Behind them Rei and Shigeru, each witnesses by themselves of the way an impromptu jam session had began to turn into a private concerto began to lose themselves against the soft, sad notes.

Shinji would at first grasp everyone's attention with his bold, earthy strong notes, so out of place for the normally shy, kid, followed immediately by Kaworu's lighthearted notes, then how they would suddenly begin a simple two pieced note, Shinji's cello again setting the mood and tempo, and Kaworu's violin would complement the sounds so perfectly; Shinji's strokes sounding the flapping of leather, like a bat's wings during flight; while Kaworu's violin mimicked the beating of a heart against such a dark, firm background, easily heard, easily understandable.

Then came Rei's and Kaworu's turn, and Shinji silently left the seat he had taken. A long, low note hummed, the beginning of a newer musical note, slowly, reverently rising in pitch, with a smooth, perfect tone as Kaworu's fingers moved along the strings, Rei waiting for the appropriate moment to add her string to the rich texture of sounds.

A simple, string of notes, uplifting in the beginning, then suddenly vanishing into thin wisps of air. Silently The began a slow, melancholic tone, Rei's violin leaving a rich imprint in the air, beginning in soft, rapid successions, against Kaworu's viola, now taking the space in the background left over by Shinji's Cello.

Silently, Shigeru whispered something to Shinji, who simply nodded and walked back to the cello, while Shigeru sat near the piano on the back ground.

"Ok, guys that was wonderful…you really are a good team…Shinji and Rei have a very similar style of playing, and I think this is because they practice very often ." Shigeru couldn't hide the awe in his voice. "Now Kaworu has a very systematic approach on his viola, which will be an excellent bridge between the _altos_ of a violin and the _baritones_ of a Cello…"

Shigeru began to play a simple tune quite similar to the one Shinji had played with Kaworu; two simple _partitas_, over and over on the lower spectrum of the piano.

"Think you can emulate Shinji..?"

Shinji simply placed the bow against the cello's string, drew a long breath of air, and began to draw out music form within.

A sad tune, a sorrowful tune; a bittersweet overture.

"Rei…"

Rei nodded and added the light tones of her violin to the obtrusive, dark tones of the cello, starting softly and ending in the same way. A faint ray of light in the otherwise pitch black darkness of the music.

Shinji quickly matched Rei's last tones with his cello, suddenly enveloping the air on the room once more. And Rei did the same at the finale; her violin's shrill notes making, forcing Shinji's tone to become higher and higher, a deafening _crescendo._

"Wonderful." Shigeru nodded. "Now I want you to do the same, only this time, allow Kaworu to become the bridge...Shinji, finish in a low tone, but not lower enough that Kaworu won't be able to pick it up from his viola."

Shinji nodded and Shigeru turned to the other boy. "And Kaworu, I want you to do the same, only this time it would be with Rei's violin, thus you'll be able to travel the whole spectra of tone on the viola."

Looking at one another, the three teens nodded and began to play, again, Shigeru marking the tempo every time Shinji would lower it reflectively by accompanying him on the piano, but quickening the tones.

As time passed by, and the tones, the cues, the slight changes in moods and timbre, the tempo and the spaces full of an audient silence became more and more natural to the trio, Shigeru finally decided that the practice had served it's purpose.

"Ok gang…this was great, for never playing before, you kids show a great understanding of each other…Shinji, you still need to work on taking charge and setting the mood and tempo correctly…" Before Shinji could say anything, Shigeru held his hand up, noticing Shinji frown, Shigeru decided to throw the kid a compliment, knowing in advance how fragile Shinji's own self esteem was.

"I know that you don't like being in the spot light, but the cello is the timekeeper of the trio or quartet, taking the place of the piano. You need to work on the cues and the tones."

"T-thank you..." Shinji smiled. "But I like the cello better."

"Yeah, so you've told me every time I ask you about it." Shigeru chuckled. "Any way…" He turned to Kaworu. "Kaworu, you need to work with Rei on abridging in a more effective manner her lows into your highs, but I must congratulate you on the way you complimented Shinji's cello."

Kaworu smiled shyly. "Thank you."

"And Rei…" The blue haired girl turned after putting away the violin. "Excellent job as always…."

"I was off when accompanying Shinji by half an octave, it wasn't right."

"The only problem you have is that you tend to over focus on perfection." Shigeru bantered in a friendly way with Rei. She blushed a bit but held her voice, a sall smile playing on her lips, which made it hard fr Kaworu not to stare at her.

Shigeru smiled, before muttering under his breath. "Now if only I could find another kid with at least an ounce of talent you have for the other violin position for this semester project…."

Rei blinked at that. "You mean we can have the string quartet completed..?"

"Well we have three fourths of it...You on the violin, Shinji with the cello and Kaworu on the viola..."

"So all we need is another violin player..?"

"Nope..." Shigeru laughed as he popped the "p". "If it were that easy, we would already be practicing several pieces…We need some one who can really play the violin if we want to convince the members of the board with our recital that the school's music department budget needs to be revised."

There was a beat as the kids registered the information.

"You mean they are planning on cutting down the music department..?"

Shigeru laughed. "Don't worry, they might make some cuts, but I'm sure it will still be an elective."

As the teacher and the students began to pack everything, Shigeru noticed Shinji staying behind.

"Ah…Mr. Aoba…"

"Call me Shigeru, Shinji…"

"Ok, Mr. Aoba…" Shinji ignored the proffered pleasantry. "Do you mind if I stayed a while longer to practice..?"

Shigeru smiled at that.

"Not at all…"

----- -----

Asuka grumbled to herself as she walked down the halls of school.

"Stupid Misato, and stupid Kaji…" She kicked her feet against the ground. "And stupid Shinji for being grounded with me…"

"Where could he be?" The red head muttered to herself as she stomped thru the halls. "I swear when I find him I'm gonna..."

Before she could finish her thoughts she heard a low rumble echoing thru the otherwise deserted halls, making her stop.

Cautiously she made her way to the classroom from where the sounds where coming from.  
The classroom would have been completely dark where it not for the light shinning from the atrium where a lone figure sat shaking to and fro, moving to the rhythm of the music made a sad grand tune melancholic at the start then suddenly ominously growing starting into a more serene one before beginning once more into a _crescendo_ that at times was melancholic and at times fierce a tune that seemed to reflect the author's nature.

Asuka cautiously peeked inside and saw the straining, calm face of Shinji Ikari, the grand cello she had seen often times when she had ventured into the music room for some "alone time" resting comfortably, almost like an old toy he had grown accustomed too, against his frame.

The music emanating from within seemed to flow inexorably, almost as if someone had opened up a faucet, and left the liquid flowing freely, cascading out and forward, enclosing the atmosphere of the room in a serene yet cautious way, the reverberating echoes of the powerful string shivering against her skin.

And thru it all, she saw his peaceful almost-there smile.

She couldn't help herself a she sat on the steps and rested her head on the threshold of the door, letting herself be taken y the music the boy was making, catching every tune, every twist and turn of melodic backlashes along, her fingers unconsciously fooling the same patter but with different precision, drumming like a timekeeper piece would and noticing that throughout all the slopes and hills of music he had created, Shinji Ikari never lost the basic tempo he had started.

She laid like that not noticing he face had changed from frown into a clam, serene demeanor, softly humming to herself accompanying the music in the room until she felt it.

The climax was coming.

Despite the sexual connotations of the word, every music player knows when it comes because it resembles the sexual climax, it's all the pin and sorrow and fear and hate, all the guts that had been used to play and create, l the feelings both burrowed beneath layers upon layers of solitude and fortitude as well as those skin deep, obvious to everyone but the player itself being pushed forward like a rushing, stampeding wave crushing against the feeble remains of a long ago crushed sand castle.

It's a tingling sensation beginning in the base of your spine, pushing up thru the back and flowing thru your shoulders, rushing thru the nerves and muscles of the arms before it can finally find release in the fingertips of the player, and then the whole world becomes purer and brighter, more defined and sharper because of it.

It leaves the person who is playing spent and panting, looking for air and like a broken, joint less doll resting against a chair, one cannot move, cannot think, one can only stay there panting and gasping for air and trying to understand how something so powerful, so perfect and harmonic can be held within, and how it can choose the precise moment to be left out.

The minute Shinji Ikari felt the notes piling up in his frame, the moment his senses were overridden by the sounds convulsing in perfect harmony inside of him, the playing became more powerful and defined; the bow became an extension of him as it thirsted back and forth against the thin coated strings, taking away all the sounds they could make and making them purr and groan at his will, being in compete and total control.

He felt them coming and saw them folding and made them fuse in one powerful swimming motion and nimble fingers on the chords.

And when it all stopped, when his body had been spent he could only lay back against the chair and focus on his won erratic breathing once all the feeling put behind the sounds of music had left the mortal coil of flesh and blood they had resided in, he never felt the red head that had been his own captivated audience of one, staring at him with a look that one would have trouble describing in her face.

Asuka simply stepped back and gasped for breath, and then began to grumble again in a loud enough voice for Shinji to hear.

"Hey idiot! We're supposed to be outside in 20 minutes fro Kaji to drive us back! Pack it up!" She said sticking half of her body inside and looking at a still sitting Shinji.

She turned around and left, humming under her breath the same tune she had heard before.

Shinji simply packed everything where it had been as quickly a possible and hurried behind Asuka, his running steps echoing in a two to one range against Asuka's own steps against the wooden boards of the floor.

No one noticed the pair of legs that looked at them leave with great interest.

----- -----

"This is all your fault idiot…" Asuka grumbled as she and Shinji walked in the distance the main doors for campus.

"You know…you always start your sentences like that…" Shinji grumbled, running next to her and, once they had passed the gates of school, slowing down from a full blown run to a mere jog, finally resting his hands on his knees, panting in exertion. "It's getting annoying…"

"That's because you are an idiot, besides, we've been doing the same routine for the better part of the year, I go next door to wake you up, and we end up running in five minutes what we could walk in fifteen if only you woke up on time."

"You could always leave me and come on time…" Shinji grumbled softly.

"I did it only once ever since this whole joke of a punishment started, and Kaji and Misato grounded me two whole weeks for ditching you…" Asuka snorted. "I'd rather kick you out of bed and run with you and arrive on time than spent another two weeks grounded…But that's not the point…"

Shinji and Asuka made their way into the hall ways both aware of the various glances the student body were throwing their way. Quietly they entered the library and sat on one of the desks located near the end.

"The point is now the whole school has the stupid idea that I'm going out with_ YOU_. " Asuka grumbled. "Apparently the fact that I walk to school everyday with a male is so out of the question they think it's has to have some sexual reason…perverts!"

"Well…I don't have class until 9.00 on Thursdays…I can come to school by myself…" Shinji began as he sat in front of Asuka. She simply pulled out a book from her bag and began to read. This made Shinji sigh and attempt another approach at the German girl.

"I know you don't have class until the same time because we have the same schedule…" he threw offhandedly, waiting for any other type of reaction from the girl in front of him, and when she lifted her book to try and block his view, knew she was still listening.

Shinji let out a puff of air, took a deep breath and started again. "Look…When we get out of here, we're gonna go back home, and I have to go grocery shopping, and I'll end up cooking, and like I said I don't feel like cooking for the both of us…" Shinji rambled on.

"If you have a point, spit it out." Asuka grumbled.

"How about today we go out to have dinner..?" Shinji continued. "Rei has stay after school pool practice with Kirishima, and…and I don't feel like cooking only for the two of us."

Asuka placed her book quietly on the desk and looked at Shinji. Her face was a mixture of confusion and shock.

"Y-you mean together..?" She asked.

"I'm thinking about getting something to eat, you can come with me if you like…" Shinji dodged the question.

"You know, I can cook…it's not like I need you to pick my clothes and clean my room and cook my food…" Asuka's said, while her eyebrow raised an inch. "And why would I want to do that, go out with you..?" She picked her book again and placed it in front of her face, reading it as she continued talking to Shinji. "We're just study partners, so don't start getting the wrong idea just because I am being forced to spend time with you."

Shinji's eyes narrowed at that. Asuka continued form behind her book.

"This is as much a punishment for me as it is for you…"

_I doubt it…_ He finished in his thoughts.

"Look, I'm not asking you on a date or something." Shinji grumbled a she opened his book as well it just a simple meal together…we've had plenty in your house and mine…" _And I always seem to be the one doing the cooking…_

"Look idiot…" Asuka began in a cool collected manner as she closed her book after marking the page she had been reading. "Everyone is pretty much assuming that just because I was forced to move with Kaji, who happens to live next door with you, and we are being paired for practically every single school related activity, and are always arriving and leaving together that we are probably dating…"

"Yeah…you already mentioned that…" Shinji said back evenly.

"And don't you think that if we go and have any meal together by ourselves is going to make everyone believe it more..?"

"It wouldn't be the first time we-"

"Wrong!" Asuka cut across him, her eyes fixed on Shinji's dark blue ones. "WE have eaten together WITH my friends and your sister and those idiots you call friends…and only once alone…" She replied stubbornly.

Shinji frowned at that. Without saying anything he placed his books inside his book bag and got up. "Well, if it's the same with you then, I'll be going to the cafeteria and getting something to eat." He muttered before exiting, not waiting for Asuka to agree or not.

Asuka didn't answer back, and Shinji was already half way thru the door when she turned to look at his departing form. She waited for the door latch to click closed and then sighed softly to herself, putting her reading book back into her own bag.

"You know…you could be a little more agreeable with him…"

Asuka gasped and turned to look at Mayumi, currently indexing several books, checking them into the schools library system before placing them in their respective place. Asuka simply huffed and turned to look straight ahead.

"I'm only spending time with him because otherwise Kaji will end up fired."

Mayumi sighed and kept arranging the books, humming a tuneless tune. "He's only spending time with you because Misato might end up fired as well."

Asuka opened her mouth, intent on saying something but closed it and huffed.

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to try something new every once in a while…"

----- -----

Shinji looked up from his book, in silence at Asuka as she placed her book bag in front of him. Without saying anything else, both teens took out their books and began to study, answering questions and typing away on their laptops. It had become a routine; after gym practice for Asuka and Music class for Shinji, they were ordered to report to the library until either Misato or Kaji came and picked them up.

"Hey kids…" The upbeat voice of the librarian greeted them. "How are you..? All set up..?"

"Yes Miss Mogami…" Both children answered at unison, not even looking up.

"O.k. Kids…" She said as she began to scan the books. "Shinji your class starts in twenty minutes; Asuka you're welcomed to stay here while Shinji finishes his music elective."

----- -----

"Look, if you don't want me to be here, just say it, I can be on the library by myself!"

Shinji sighed for what felt like a thousandth time.

"I told you Asuka, It's allright if you want to be here, I just think that you should have asked Mister Aoba first."

Asuka harrumphed and crossed her arms at the back of her head, the very picture of nonchalance as she walked next to Shinji who kept looking at his music score sheets.

"I wouldn't put it past your louse of a guardian if she had already infected Mr. Aoba's minds with a ridiculous story about me."

"Yeah, because I'm sure he's deaf dumb and blind." Shinji grumbled back quietly.

"What did you say?" Asuka asked as she turned to look at him, a cross between a smirk and a growl in her face.

"N-nothing!" Shinji's higher brain functions took control and adjusted his behavior accordingly to survive a pummeling.

"Wimp."

The bantering exchange continued as Shinji opened the door to the classroom where Music was going to be taken; the first thing he noticed was Rei tuning up her violin while Kaworu was muttering something, making Rei grace him with a small, shy smile.

"You brought a guest."

It was very hard to notice the displeasure on the flat tone by which Rei said those words, but it was there.

"Stuff it wonder girl."

It was hard not to notice the animosity Asuka held on her voice, so Shinji simply shrugged and went towards the cello to tune it up.

"I would appreciate it of you could keep the harpy quiet while we practice." Rei told her brother, ignoring the already close to exploding red head.

"I hope your violin doesn't sound like a cat drowning, smurfette." Asuka simply grumbled, went to one of the chairs and took out her books, intent on getting some school work done. Kaworu simply looked from one girl to the other and shrugged, deciding to stay out of it and tune his viola. They were passing the time until Shigeru could make it to start the practice.

"Why don't we try again to work on what mister Aoba said?" Kaworu added after some time. "We can try with uhh…" He shuffled the pages looking for an adequate piece for the three instruments to focus on the harmonizing parts, before finally picking up a score.

"how about this one?" The ashen-haired teen asked with a smile pointing to a particular page.

"Very well." Rei held her violin to her chin and turned to look at Shinji, waiting for him to begin. Shinji simply sucked a long gulp of breath, held it in and then let it out slowly, before his left hand changed postures, form holding the cello by the neck to grasping it, fingers pressed softly yet firmly against the nylon chords.

Rei closed her eyes and felt the tone setting up, Shinji's experimental plucking of the chords and odd notes telling her he was still trying to tune the instrument to perfection. Kaworu too closed his eyes and began to tune his own viola to the scratching of the low, grave notes.

And then Shinji began to play.

Just like last time he began in a soft note, the humming of the cello, slowly increasing in tone and force as it came back and forth, and then suddenly dipping back down before resurfacing again, Rei kept her bow poised onto the violin before her low, soft notes began to slowly mix with Shinji's more powerful _staccatos_, slowly rushing and molding, before she stopped abruptly, frowning.

Shinji let out a sigh. "You were a bit sl-"

"Yes." Rei said curtly, not happy with herself. "Let's try it again."

They regrouped and began in the same manner, Shinji once again doing some minor playing to set the tone and tempo, and when he turned to look at Rei and she nodded, he began from the low and deep once more.

Halfway through the piece, Rei stopped again and frowned, looking at the violin, checking on the chords and their distension, plucking them, clearly not satisfied with how they were tuned.

"I can do it slower if you fl the pacing is too quick." Shinji offered his sister, while Kaworu sat next to Rei, taking the violin and checking it himself.

"You're starting half a time before and climb up the notes too fast."

All three turned towards the red head looking at her with a mixture of shock and annoyance. Asuka simply kept leafing the pages on her text book, scribbling something on the notebook she held on her lap.

"The piece requires for me to start at that time and to shift the notes quickly." Rei retorted while she grabbed the violin again, a but miffed at both herself and the fact that Asuka had caught up so quickly what had been eluding her.

"No, the piece is written like that because the players are generally male, and their fingers and forearms hold much more power than a female's." Asuka said in a displaced tone. "You don't have their reach, nor their power, you need to make up for that part in precision and solvency." The red head ended as she closed her book and looked at the three people in front of her.

"Why don't you show us how it's done, then?" Rei asked quietly as she got up and walked over to Asuka, holding her violin out. Asuka simply snorted and turned her face.

"I don't have to show you anything, you can take my advice or not, I don't care."

"Maybe you are not so sure of your own abilities put on the spot light." Rei egged the redhead while turning around and walking back. Asuka looked on thoughtfully.

She got up and snatched the violin from Rei's hands. She turned to Shinji and tapped a tempo on the handle of the cello. "This is the tempo we will need, it's only a bit slower, not really noticeable but it will allow any female player to be able to modulate the notes better. You got it?"

Shinji kept his eyes on the tapping bow, making a few notes to familiarize himself with the tempo.

Do it again." He asked softly as he closed his eyes, and began to feel Asuka's tapping on the wood, on the air and n the chords, he waited for the tip-tap he wanted and then began playing, The red head allowed him a few minutes, and Shinji began to let the notes flow, before Asuka closed her eyes as well, and waited for the appropriate cue to intervene.

It began with a low rumble; a sew-saw motion that began growing with the tremble force of the cello, faintly growing, escalating into a full blown solo before it receded equally softly, following the notion of elongation and decrease; it was here, and suddenly it wasn't, and the echoes reverberated all the more powerful because of that.

Shinji's face was one of complete and outmost concentration, eyes closed, brows furrowed as he imprinted his strength onto the cello, before Asuka decided to cut in; light, soft notes form the violin making their way thru the rumbling echo left behind.

And then Shinji's cello began to play again, first in the background, becoming the focal point as Asuka's notes disappeared, and then Asuka was on the center stage once more, the soft, precise notes flowing commanding attention because of the clear, crystal sounds, as well as the slow increase in forte.

And then they began to play together, Asuka following and then guiding Shinji's continual 4 notes on the cello, and Shinji marking th tempo before he became like the waves, coming forth and then back, teasing Asuka's violin with a powerful bass and then letting the note rest.

They increased the tone and the notes and Asuka once again became the lead, while Shinji kept the accompanying rhythm, marking it, creating it, laying the frame work for Asuka to create, to paint, to draw the picture of her self with the notes o the violin.

Again the repeated with more force, more [precision before slowly, letting the notes rest, allowing the sound to go away, and the class room remained silent as Kaworu and Rei watched in surprise as Shinji blinked, before turning over to Asuka who simply laid down the violin and walked back to her seat.

"That's how you do it." She said to Rei, before the sound of clapping made her stop, turning to look at the entrance, where Shigeru Aoba was clapping and smiling.

"I think we've just found our second violin."

Asuka looked from the teacher to the others and then simply muttered softly.

"Verdammt."

----- -----

"No…forget it." Asuka grumbled as Shinji, Rei and Kaworu kept pestering her. "That was a once in a life time fluke which I won't repeat anytime soon."

"Asuka but that was wonderful!" Shinji gushed. "I really didn't know you could play like that"

"What? You though I simply walked around campus stuffing sausages down other peoples pants and punching the lights out of perverts?"

"W-well, yes, but…"

"Shut up idiot."

"But Miss Sohryu…" Kaworu jumped in. "We really need a fourth person who can play the violin for th-"

"I don't care." Asuka said as she kept walking. "I don't play in public."

"B-but Asuk-!"

"Save it idiot." Asuka held her hand out to Shinji, silencing the boy instantly. "I don't want to hear anything about it."

"C'mon Asuka, plea-"

"I SAID NO!" Asuka shouted at both siblings, before leaving without saying anything more. Shinji watched her as she made her way to the lobby waiting for Misato, frowning at her.

"C'mon Asuka." Shinji tired once more. "It wouldn't kill you to stop being such a bitch and help someone lese than yourself!"

Asuka's middle finger, apart form a few colorful expletives in English, German and Japanese, was the only response he got

"You know…" Kaworu began after a moment of tense silence. "I think we should let her be."

"Kaworu, she can help us for the concert…all we need to do is convince her!" Shinji murmured to the other teen before turning to Rei. "I'll go with her and try to convince her of helping us."

"Shinji." Rei said flatly. "I do not think you have the capacity to make her agree, nor would I have high hopes for her to do so." She said as she placed the violin back in it's case and began to walk towards the pool for her after school swimming club practice.

"However, try to speak with her." Rei added, turning back a little a sad look in her eyes. "She's some one like us, brother. You might try and be more civil towards her."

"Well, I have until Misato picks us up." Shinji grimaced. "Maybe on a quick turn she will bang her head and et amnesia."

"I just hope it's selective amnesia, and she remembers how to play the violin."

----- -----

Ryouji Kaji has always been regarded as an affable jovial kind of guy; laid back, and a bit on the scruffy side he exudes an air of confidence and coolness about him, which might be the reason why most of his students show him some sort of respect.

Of course, being regarded as an attractive teacher by both the female staff and students from campus, with his signature long hair tied in a messy low ponytail and sporting a five o'clock shadow may also be a factor.

As it is, it is a rare sight to see Ryouji Kaji angry.

A sight even his charge, Asuka Langley Sohryu, has rarely been privy to.

This is one of those times.

"What do you mean you can't pick them up...?" He screamed into his phone.

"_Well…I didn't realize that tomorrow was the deadline for me to turn in these papers and I have to stay at school and grade them."_ Came the reply.

"Well, I'm stuck here for at least another 3 more hours, and even if I left right now, There's no way I'd make it on time…" Kaji grumbled back before a thought occurred to him.

"Wait, Misato…if you have to stay at school, why can't you just take the kids with you..?"

"_Oh..! Uh-uhmm… Ohmygoshlookatthetimegottagobye…"_ Kaji heard the jumbled words, quickly followed the dial tone. Frowning, Kaji looked at his watch and noticed the day.

"Of course…happy hour at the bar…" He mused to himself before shrugging nonchalantly. "Well…both Shinji and Asuka have been hanging on with each other now…surely they'll be able to go home without any problems." He said to himself, sounding more like he wanted to convince himself rather than expound his reasons for doing something like this.

"You don't really believe any of this, do you..?" behind him Makoto Hyuga asked, frowning.

"Who'd believed what..?" Shigeru Aoba asked coming from behind Makoto.

"Kaji is considering sending Shinji with Asuka alone back home."

Shigeru stifled a laugh at that. "B-but I thought today was Misato's turn to…"

Before he could finish, Kaji silenced them both with one phrase.

"Friday happy hour…" He said dialing another number.

"Shinji?" Kaji asked with a smile. "Hey thanks for answering kid, bad news, Misato and I won't be able to pick you and Asuka up, so…"

"Yeah, and remember to do your…"

He smiled lopsidedly. "Excellent, oh and another thing Shinji…" Kaji drew out a long breath and stared out into space, thinking of the correct way to word it. "Regarding Asuka, just…remember to give her a chance...she might act tough, but she is still a girl."

Both males registered this, but neither said anything until after Kaji had ended the conversation.

"I just hope that Shinji has a decent medical insurance plan…" Shigeru finally said.

"Why is that..?" Both Makoto and Kaji questioned.

"Because I think typhoon Asuka is going to test it...badly…"

"Well guys, that's it for me…" Makoto excused himself. "Gotta go and pick up Satsuki were going out to dinner tonight."

Both men waved back, smiling.

"She's gonna end up three sheets to the wind." Kaji said with the smile still in place, then he turned to Shigeru.

"Hey Kaji, so what do you think about that thing I told you?."

"I don't know…it sounds like a wild, fancy thing…" Kaji said of handedly; he had to hand it to Shigeru, he was a tough cookie; he had been pushing the topic at hand ever since the ramen stand.

"Look…You need those two to be together, and this is another way for them to be under close supervision…" Shigeru continued. "So how about it..? You in…or you out..?"

Kaji pretended to think hard about it, letting out a tired sigh.

"I mean, you can't simply hire a nanny or something, right..?" Shigeru pressed. "And let them stay with Misato? Please…talk about the blind leading the blind."

Kaji laughed out loud at the notion. "You're right, if I could, I would do it, but with this new teaching position at the university I'd be lucky to make it in time to sleep and go teach at the institute." He said as soon as he could control his laughter.

Shigeru clapped Kaji's shoulder. "C'mon man, We'd be doing each other a solid one here…"

Kaji decided to keep quiet. _Let him stew a little in his own broth._

"Look Kaji, I understand that you want to save yours and Misato's ass, which is why I want to help you babysitting Shinji _and_ Asuka, besides…" He sighed. "I need them both to come up with something to save _MY_ job…"

"Why's that..?"

"I just found out thru the grapevine the school board is cutting down some electives and they say music might be one." Shigeru grumbled.

"Fuyutsuki told me if I could whip up something by the time the board meets by the end of the school year I might pull something off…"

"And do you have something in mind..?" Kaji asked his long haired friend.

"I was thinking about making a concert or something, but the only kids that have some talent are Shinji and Rei, and they play classical instruments."

Kaji smiled at that.

"And how does Asuka factor in on this?"

"Well, I once meet Chairman Keel, he's German, you know…"

"Yeah, so..?" Kaji said a she ordered another beer, knowing full well that-

"Here...I'll get it." Shigeru offered, stopping Kaji from reaching for his wallet. Kaji simply smilled to himself as he instead extracted a cigarette and lit it, letting out a plume of smoke

"He happens to be a classical music buff." Shigeru said slowly, waiting for Kaji to take the bait.

"Wow, really..?" Kaji had trouble masking the over the top shock, but Shigeru's tone became more upbeat at that.

_Hook, line and sinker._ Both thought at the same time.

"Yeah, He told me once he especially love the works of Bach...you know…_Prelude fur Violonchello_, which Shinji just happened to play during the last city sponsored concert for promising musicians along with Rei." He said conspirationally. "Keel was actually on the first row and was one of the first to give them both a standing ovation."

"Wow, so if you do something like-" Kaji began before Shigeru cut him off. "Of course he _actually_ prefers the string pieces by Bach."

Kaji simply nodded at that, letting Shigeru control the flow.

"And it just so happens that I know another excellent violin player…" Shigeru waited for Kaji to turn to him before letting the name out.

----- -----

"Arrgh…I can't believe it…" Asuka shrieked as she and Shinji waited on the threshold of the apartment buildings where she now resided with Kaji. The same building that housed the Katsuragi/ Ikari/ Ayanami apartment.

"This is all your fault idiot." She said, pushing him towards the rain and the cold outside of the apartment.

"Mine..?" Shinji asked her with disbelief while attempting to maintain as much of his body as possible within the confines of the small room. "What do you mean my fault..?"

"If you had brought your keys…"

"I already told you I was sorry for that…" Shinji yelled at her, wrestling with her to stay inside the meager shelter the threshold gave them. "How was I supposed to know Rei would be going to the mall with Horaki and Yamagishi..?"

"It's also your drunken slob of a guardian's fault then…" Asuka retorted. "She was supposed to come pick us up…instead old man Tokita came to the library and threw us out of the school."

Shinji, knowing his guardian, realized the red head had a point. .

"I swear to god…if I die from pneumonia, I'm gonna kill you…"

"Well…" Shinji began trying to defuse the red head. "We could go to Kaji's apartment…"

"Kaji never gave me the key…" She muttered. Noticing Shinji's questioning look, she explained. "He said something about me coming by in the middle of school day and not going to classes…any way…why am I telling you this..?"

Shinji decided to keep silent. They both stayed in silence on the stairs, guarding themselves with Shinji's jacket. Shivering Asuka scooted closer to the boy. Before Shinji could say anything, she growled.

"Don't get your hopes up dork…I'm only doing this to get some body heat…if you get any perverted ideas, I'm punching you…" She forcefully pushed Shinji onto the small roof above them. As they both huddled together Asuka felt something hard and pointy against her inner thigh, she looked down and saw Shinji's leg almost draping over her own, a suspicious bulge on it.

"Shinji…" the red head growled so very close to his ear Shinji shivered involuntarily. "Those better be your keys so I can punch you for being a moron, and no another thing so I don't punch you for being a pervert."

---------------

"Ok, Shinji…" Asuka growled once the door was opened and she pushed the helpless boy inside. "You have 10 seconds to get your stuff in the living room; I want to start as soon as I change." She grumbled as she took the towel Shinji was offering her and barged into his room.

"Do you have any dry clothes I can use..?"

Shinji frowned at that. "Uhh…no, but Rei might have something, you can check in her room."

Asuka didn't waste more time, marching into Rei's currently unoccupied room, closing the sliding door while telling Shinji not to peek or else. She quickly took off her uniform, letting it pool at the floor, shivering into the warmth of the towel..

"Aachoo!" Asuka sneezed from within Rei's room. "I 'm in hell, that's what it is…" she grumbled as she wet thru Rei's t-shirt.

"Huh…" Asuka muttered. She never knew Rei's odd sense pf humor permeated to her shirts, as all the times she saw her, Rei was either in the school uniform, the school P.E combination of bright red shorts and white/red ringer shirt, or thee school's swimming suit.

Asuka saw the shirt once more with suspicious; a little gray number that seemed like it was one size to small for Asuka's body, with lettering that consisted on a "caution" triangle with image of a female form walking by a fence with a male from peeking at it on above was stretched across the chest, _Beware of men peeping_ emblazoned across it.

She snorted and saw at the other alternative; a similar t-shirt of the same color, only this one had the image of a man touching a woman's ass while both left arms grasped at a train handles., the lettering in bold red letters of _Beware of perverts_, followed underneath by a _Dangerous persons are in this area_.

Muttering about this, Asuka decided to go with the first, exiting Rei's room.

"Your sister has some strange tastes in shirts." She said simply as she tugged on the lower part of the shirt to cover her midriff, as well as feeling the shorts were rather…short; She was starting to feel rather self-conscious while standing in the boys living room while using his sister's clothes. Shinji emerged from his room toweling his head dry, while throwing another towel at Asuka who caught it effortlessly in mid air and began to towel her hair dry.

"Good thing you didn't see her _Respect the Emperor, Expel the Foreign Barbarians _one."

"Whatever." Asuka rolled her eyes, but held a mall smile. "Now let's get to your homework."

---------------

"_Mein Gott_! You really are an idiot!"

"It's not that, it just that I don't understand-" Shinji grumbled as he toweled his hair dry, now wearing an old T-shirt and a pair of shorts after putting his drenched clothes in the dryer along with Asuka's,

"How can you not get this?" Asuka mumbled as she scribbled down on Shinji's mock test the correct formulas. "You're probably doing the problems already thinking you're not able to do them…" she kept scribbling while Shinji watched amazed as she solved in a matter of second what had taken him more than 20 minutes to grasp.

"Overlooking small things, and probably not using the correct formula…There!" Asuka exclaimed with pride. She finished scribbling and pointed to the strewn papers.

"Those are the formulas you need, but they aren't in correct order; I want you to solve those problems before I'm gone or I'll hit you." She said dead serious.

"What?!" Shinji gawked, narrowing his eyes. "You're supposed to tutor me, not physically abuse me…"

"I'm done with your pessimistic and defeatist attitude." Asuka snapped. "I'm gonna start tutoring you using physical intimidation…" She pushed her palms against the table and stared at him long and hard.

"For every screw-up, I'll hit you." She began as she counted of with her fingers. "For every wrong answer, I'll hit you. For every blank answer, I'll hit you."

"I'm pretty sure this isn't what Kaji and Misato had in mind when they-OW!"

Shinji stood there nursing his head as Asuka cracked her knuckles and gave him a look that clearly meant she could care less.

"For every whiny comment that shows you are a pathetic, spineless worm who also happens to be a pervert, I'll hit you." She finished as she walked to the kitchenette and grabbed a cup of ramen, filled it with water and placed it on the microwave oven. As she waited for the timer to finish she turned to look at Shinji who was glaring at her.

"I'm sure you have potential, Shinji, which is why I'm wasting my time with you…so I'll make a promise with you…" She turned to look at him.

"I'll whip you into shape, and after I turn you into a real man, then Mana might turn around and look at you twice." She finished as the oven _pinged_ to signify the time was up.

"I'm sure you know a lot about being a man." Shinji grumbled as he picked his pages and began to scan them.

What did you say?" Asuka asked with an angry tone from the kitchen.

"Nothing!" Shinji said with discontent.

"Just as I thought." Asuka smirked, coming into the living room again and sitting in the couch, turning the TV set on and pretty much making herself at home.

"Now hurry up and get going; _Schnell_, _schnell_!"

_Uhg….What does she want from me?_ Shinji thought to himself, as he slumped more than sat into the table.

"Crap..." click

He felt Asuka sitting directly behind him; he could feel the warmth from her legs as they curled into themselves, he could sense her eyes shifting every now and then from whatever it was she was watching to his essay problems. And it was making him very nervous being in such close proximity with a girl al alone in the apartment.

"Crap..." click

Especially when that girl had previously issued a warning about _No perverted stuff or else_ while she held her fist menacingly at him.

"Worthless..." click

Shinji sighed, attempting to get once again with his study program. 'Why does physics have to be so...complicated..?' He thought dejectedly. Glancing around the room he figured he might as well get a move on, since those problems weren't going to solve themselves.

"Ugh...Megacrap..." click

_Thermal expansion._ He frowned at the concept. 'Why do I need to know about thermal expansion..?' He skimmed the pages quickly realizing he had no idea what they were talking about.

_She's supposed to explain this to me._

Across from him, he could see that Asuka was having the same problem as he had only she was squinting at the screen, trying to understand the Japanese characters flashing in a brilliant yellow tint on the screen. Amused, he began to make a bet against himself to see who would be the first one to out flat ask for assistance.

From the looks of it, it appeared to be Asuka.

"What are those drunken salary men doing in that telephone booth..?"

Shinji's smirk floated away as he looked up from his book at the TV set. There were, in fact two telephone booths painted in a bright red color; the same type one would see in all through out Europe currently occupied by two middle aged salary men who were drinking a large bottle of some kind of liquor. They were both obviously drunk and were instructed to dial to certain people's number and ask them for their help in answering several questions ranging from geography to common knowledge to trivia to the bizarre.

"They are dialing to a stranger's phone number to ask them for help in answering the questions posted inside the phone booth." Shinji explained burying his face within the books again.

"You Japanese are weird and the television shows are so boring." Asuka said absentmindedly as she clicked away from the couch, channel surfing with reckless abandon. "I mean, look at this: Who in their right mind would think it's a good idea to show cartoons at such an ungodly hour of the night..?" She asked rhetorically as she stopped briefly on a channel to see the animated violence of a cartoon purple robot resembling an _Oni_ battling against another robot, only this one was green and had a pointy face.

"I'm taking a shower then going to bed." She said, tossing the remote control at Shinji who was still sitting in front of the couch under the heated table with various books strewn around him in no discernable order whatsoever. Asuka got out of her chair, stifling a laugh as the remote bounced off of Shinji's unprepared head.

"Ow..!"

Rubbing the sore spot on his head, Shinji glared at Asuka as she went into her room and back out again.

"Little early for bed isn't it..?" He asked sourly, looking at her. "Have you finished your homework..?"

"Yes I have, and that's why I'm taking a shower first, idiot." Se retorted flipping her auburn hair with an air of majesty. "And if you try and peek I'll gouge your eyes out and feed them to a bird." She added with an afterthought.

Shinji blinked at that; Asuka's way of expressing herself had recently become a mystery to Shinji. He could sometimes feel the playfulness in the words that to someone else would sound harsh and uncaring.

Other times he was sure she meant each and everyone of the words uttered, specially those involving a slow and painful existence should he do something considered by the German as 'perverted'.

Unfortunately for Shinji, almost everything he did was considered as perverted.

"Make sure you don't 'forget' the shower is occupied will you..?" Asuka remarked in passing at Shinji on her way to the bathroom, ruffling his hair and earning a soft growl and another glare from the brown haired boy.

Outside, the rain kept falling, making the already dark night pitch black. On the back of Shinji's mind, the message he had received from Kaji and Rei kept replaying once and again.

_Give her a chance...she might act tough, but she is still a girl._

_She's some one like us brother. You might try and be more civil towards her._

Sighing, Shinji turned the small table lamp on and opened his book to continue studying. In the background he could hear the sounds emerging from the bathroom.

The water faucet turned off.

The soft throaty moan that escaped from her as Asuka submerged herself in the warm water.

the soft ticking of the clock, marking each passing moment as Asuka remained inside the bathroom, followed closely by the sound of her softly humming a song.

Shinji willed himself to continue studying. He glanced at the clock.

Just then, the telephone began to ring. Frowning, Shinji got up and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Brother."

"Rei."

"I will be staying in a sleep over with Kirishima, Horaki and Yamagishi."

"Oh…all right…"

"I'll see you in the morning then, good bye."

---------------

When Asuka stepped out of the shower, clad in her towel, she found Shinji still on the table. Not as he had been before she walked to take a bath, all hunched up, with his face deep inside the books, but with his head on top of his folded arms, a calm and placid look on his face, soft snoring coming from within him. Asuka hummed a soft melody to herself as she went to Rei's room to change into her already dried clothes.

Minutes later, she emerged from Rei's room and stopped in front of the table, glancing down at Shinji's sleeping form.

_He's a pervert, of that I'm sure._ Asuka frowned and then, doing something definitely out of character for her, she kneeled down close to him and brushed away his bangs, watching him carefully, taking in the expression of utter calmness and relaxation on his face.

_But maybe he's not that much of a pervert._ Asuka's secret smile never left her face.

"Hey, idiot." Asuka said softly, shaking Shinji's shoulder. The boy mumbled something before he stirred.

"Huh? What time is it..?"

"Time for you to pack and go to sleep." Asuka said smirking. "We can continue in the morning, the test isn't until next Thursday, so we still have 6 more days."

Shinji yawned and nodded. "All right…" He said as he began to absentmindedly pick up his books and notebooks. As he continued to do so he sleepily walked towards his room and ended walking straight into one of the beanbags strewn around, crashing into the floor.

"Oww…"

Asuka simply sighed "Boy…you are an idiot…" She muttered as she helped Shinji get up.

"But you did finish the whole study pages I gave you, so I guess we'll have to keep on studying using the 'I'll hit you' method."

"Yeah, then you'll have to come up with a good excuse as to why I'm suddenly coming with all those bruises, I'm sure Fuyutsuki would love to hear how you traded one victim for another."

"Not to worry, I can always tell him you walked into a door or something."

"If you weren't a girl…" Shinji grumbled.

"And physically able to kick your butt." Asuka finished for him sticking out her tongue. Shinji grumbled but otherwise did nothing, making Asuka giggled from her place, sitting in front of Shinji not realizing or not caring that by pulling her knees to her chest, her short skirt actually gave a Shinji a good peek of her long creamy legs and silky thighs; if she leaned back a little more he could actually see her p-

"I'm just kidding Shinji, you should lighten up..." She smiled, leaning forwards close enough to make Shinji break into a sweat, and snatching his reading glasses from his face. She got up and made her way to the veranda.

Smiling, she turned from the window where she had been overlooking the city. The Shadows from above hanging like a curtain, encasing her face and serene gentle smile as she turned to look at him and Shinji was finally able to take a good, long look at the true beauty that was Asuka Langley Sohryu.

_Wow..._ Shinji thought still gawking at the red head, his heartbeat making an echo on his head, his whole face felt like it was on fire and his own thoughts were going against his rational mind.

_She really is cute…_

"Besides, no one likes a squealer..." She ended with a smile as she placed Shinji's glasses on her face, the frames making her seem the outline of her features that much softer, but also making Shinji focus on her breath taking eyes..

"Hmmm..." Asuka hummed critically as she kneeled on her hands and knees before Shinji. "Take off the glasses and you're actually kinda cute..." She squinted a little but never stopped looking at Shinji's confused expression.

"No dashing hero cute though, more like a sad poet kinda cute." She smirked at him, but the soft tone in her voice took away the bite in her comment.

Until she looked at his essay problems.

"Wait! What's with these answers..?" She asked as she snatched his homework before the dark haired boy could react, taking advantage of Shinji's perplexed state and shuffled thru the papers.

"You did this on your own, didn't you? And this the result of a whole night's work? No wonder you need help...You really are an idiot, I mean look at these problems…And they are elementary stuff!"

Shinji frowned realizing she did have a point, however all the pent up frustration bottled after such a day exploded like a soft drink droppedone too many times; his feelings of frustration, both him for failing after trying so hard, and towards Asuka for not giving him the answers made him snap.

It also didn't helped that he had actually thought that Asuka, _Asuka, for God's sake, _was cute; The Asuka that smacked, pushed and generally belittled him at any occasion.

"Yeah, like you should talk...you are the one who has the knowledge of Kanji equivalent to a ten-year-old..."

"You know what..?" Asuka asked narrowing her eyes and smirking at Shinji's flustered expression. "Not only are you an idiot, but you are a sexually deranged idiot -- you're a pervert and a klutz."

"Oh yeah..?" Shinji got on his knee, ready to pounce. "Well I-I…" His mouth suddenly appeared to get disconnected from his brain, and babbled the first thing that it could.

"I take it back too, you're not cute..." Before Asuka could process what he had said, Shinji continued, jumping forward and snatching at her face.

"And give me back my glasses..." He finished lamely, more like a small kid pouting than a young man demanding something.

"Ewww...don't touch me...your stupidity might be contagious!" Asuka yelled, while scooting back as he fell inches short from her spread legs, his face a mixture of embarrassment and anger.

This continued on for quite sometime; until Shinji lunged forward one last time to get his glasses. Somehow, while he had jumped towards Asuka and she had tried to get away from him, both succeeded in being tangled up with each other.

Whit a crash, Shinji's upper back ended resting against the wall, his right hand clenching his glasses' frame as Asuka's face hovered inches from his. She, in just as uncomfortable a position, was nearly straddling him, her forehead a breath away from touching Shinji's; her left hand clutching his upper arm for support, a soft, tingling sensation of skin against skin on her digits.

It also didn't help that the current position was giving Shinji a good peek at Asuka's cleavage. Neither, however, seemed bothered by this. They were simply there, transfixed,looking into the other's blue eyes; stormy blue waters against the quietsummer blue skies."

G-get off..." Shinji whispered, his face fully flushed.

"N-no...you..." Asuka stammered, not able to take her eyes from his.

"You first..."" Shinji said as he inched his way towards her lips.

"Pe-pervert..." Asuka muttered, smiling softly and involuntarily turning her head to give him better access.

"H-hold it..."

"Y-your breath is tickl-"It was in this awkward position that they suddenly heard the jiggling of keys and the unmistakable voice of Misato using the phone.

"Sheesh...I just got home, Kaji…" Misato grumbled as she opened the door, taking her shoes and walking inside the apartment. "No I did not go binge drinking with Satsuki until this late hour, we took a couple of beers and then we had to grade some papers…"

Whatever Kaji told her, made Misato stick her tongue out at him through the other side of the phone, making faces as she mimicked his words. "It's not you business if I decide to grade my papers this late after the exam or not, besides it's not like they need the bad news that no one passed…"

Shinji swallowed a lump in his throat and noticed Asuka's eyes mirrored his own; uncertainty, and fear plastered in them.

"Look Kaji, why don't you go ahead and I'll meet you as soon as I..." She stopped, digesting in the scene in front of her

Everything was in its proper place; Shinji and Asuka were sitting feet apart, clenched hands on their legs and their faces flushed, sweating...

Both not looking at the other.

Something was definitely amiss.

_"__Misato did you hear me? I said it's happy hour on all the alcohol..."_ Kaji repeated quizzically thru the phone.

That was enough to break Misato's feeble grasp of the situation. Her priorities shifted as her more primal instinct took charge.

"YEEEE-HAWWWW!"

----- -----

"I will accept the fact that they are very much in love, only if you accept the fact that he is a wishy-wash indecisive boy and she is a violent banshee begging for everyone to look at her, and then getting angry at anyone who actually looks at her." Rei exposed her point of view as Hikari, Mayumi and Mana sat in semicircle, each girl carrying a different type of junk or comfort food; popcorn, Pocky and Preech, ice cream…the usual staple diet on a girl's sleepover.

Hikari sighed, and not for the first time wondered how she had gotten into this argument, especially against the queen of cold, hard logic herself, Rei.

"But Rei…" Hikari drawled her name like a petulant child. "C'mon…you have to admit they make such a cute couple." She said as Mana giggled next to them.

"Yeah, if not for the fact that he is head over heels for her I would do something about it."

"Perhaps, however I maintain my point; he is what you would colloquially call a wimp." Rei coldly stated.

"That's harsh..." Mayumi grumbled.

"That's the truth."

Hikari decided to try a different approach.

"Maybe he is that way because he has a more zen-like attitude, you know..." She made some martial arts-esque movements. "Be like water, and all that..."

Rei's eyebrow raised a millimeter, the only outward sign of surprise on her otherwise completely blank face. "I don't think he is like that...if you take a good look at his actions you will see that, while he is very much attracted to her, and she is attracted to him as well, they never say so out loud."

"B-but he would if he felt she is slipping away." Mayumi added suddenly. "And she would too if she sees the same thing…or she feels he is moving on."

"Yeah!" Mana added as she grabbed a box of Preech before Mayumi could do so, smirking at her as the dark haired, eye glasses wearing girl stuck her tongue out. "But then, _she_ tries to sabotage his dates, and when he finally confronts her and tells her in no uncertain terms he likes her, she runs away."

Hikari sighed. "Yes that's true, but I mean c'mon…when the movie started, he was the least liked guy…" the class representative began to count on her fingers. "He was a klutz, and a pervert, all the girls disliked him, especially her."

"Which is why the whole concept is improbable." Rei said as she grabbed a fistful of popcorn. "The chances of a male like him existing are lower than you think, and the chances of a male such as him actually getting to date a woman like the lead are beyond the realm of normal statistics."

"But they got together." Mayumi tried to temper Rei's cold hard logic.

"That is why that was a movie…" Rei sighed. "In real life some one like him would have long ago given up on his dreams and hopes, and she would have gone out with a rich top student."

"How you managed to actually feel something for Kaworu is beyond me." Mana grumbled good naturedly. "What happened..? did he asked you how was your day and you took time to actually think of your day so far, the definition of good versus the meaning of good and realized he was attempting to make conversation only to tell him _asking about how my day has been so far is irrelevant and illogical, the day has not ended so far, thus I cannot give you an accurate answer_." Mana said, delivering the last lines in an emotionless, blank face and automaton tone of voice.

It was, however Rei's blush what made them realize that Mana's assessment was actually not that off.

"I didn't say that."

"It was in the subtext." Hikari explained to Rei shrugging in a non committed way.

"Since when do you even know what subtext is..?" Rei asked, raising an eyebrow, a faint glint of amusement in her voice.

"Oh _please_. It was absolutely in the subtext."

"I do not think you have an accurate perception as to what subtext means."

"You know…" Mana interjected again. "The question still stands…and I still don't understand why you are so adamant about getting those two together…everybody knows it a fact: Shinji is a spineless wimp, and Asuka is a heartless bitch." She ended with a nod.

"That sounds like something Toji would say." Hikari replied dryly. "Besides, she's your cousin; shouldn't you be standing by the corner..?"

"Please…" Mana waved her off. "It's not like Asuka is a defenseless submissive helpless lady." She muttered. "Besides I'm sure she says the same things, if not worst about me at any given time."

Hikari sighed. "Ok, you have a point…" She drew another long, suffering breath before she sat in front of the girls.

"Well, it's like this; ever since we became friends, Asuka has shown zero to no interest in boys…it's almost as if she was a lesbian…not that there's anything wrong with that." Hikari quickly amended.

"Sorry to break your homo dreams Hikari, but nope, she's not." Mana smirked.

"I would love to know how you came to that conclusion." Rei noted solemnly.

"Well, first of all, she had this huge, and I'm talking massive crush on Kaji…" Mana giggled recalling the lengths Asuka had gone to show Kaji her appreciation. "When she was little and he came to visit, she would follow him everywhere, cling to him like a koala, and generally border on being his stalker, molester and everything in between."

"Then something must've happened for her to outgrow her Kaji phase." Mayumi said nibbling around a stick of Pocky. "I-I mean she hasn't been so much as clinging to him as opposed as just hanging…with him..?"

"Well, something _did_ happen during her stay in that German boarding school, that made her forget about Kaji, drop all pretenses of men and then afterwards, become the regular ray of sunshine we have today." Mana said sullenly. "It was as if she made a whole 180° change, going from being the popular outgoing cheerleader type to this new anti men guerilla fighter."

The whole room remained silent after this, all the girls thinking about what could have happened.

And all the girls came to the same conclusion.

"A boy." Mayumi mumbled.

"Yeah, I'd bet on that." Mana sighed. "Ever since, she has become a nuisance to all of you and the bane of boys everywhere."

"So…do we know anything that might tell us she is planning on dating in the future..?" Hikari asked dejectedly. "Or should we stop pretending and start giving her plaid shirts and helping her choose between buzz cuts or mullets..?"

"Well, she owns a pair of black underwear." Mana supplied cheerfully.

"Saucy…" Hikari smiled disturbingly, before noticing the strange look from Mana, the panicked look from Mayumi and the blank look from Rei before she got up and went to the microwave oven. "Uhh…what I meant was…"

"Look, Hikari whatever floats your boat…" Mana grinned impishly. "Anyway, you still haven't explained to us why them…"

"Well…it's my very own personal challenge; find someone for Asuka." Hikari finished crossing her arms and nodding empathically.

"And why my brother..?" Rei asked as she returned with another batch of popcorn.

"Because, so far, he is the only one she has shown a modicum of respect." Hikari smiled. "Besides, I'm sure that since they are both as mature as two preschoolers, and behave like them as well, all her teasing and name calling and what not is her screwed up way of letting him now she likes him."

"Like Arnold and Helga!" Mayumi screamed triumphantly, not noticing the strange looks the girls gave her. "Oh…sorry…" She uttered around the biscuit stick in her mouth. "It's just that it reminded me of an old American animation show I saw in-"

"Sure, why not..?" Mana cut on Mayumi's ramble, while looking over the Pocky she kept munching, wondering worriedly if it was laced with something.

"We should let them work it out by themselves…" Mana continued. "I mean we've been meddling enough as it is…"

"No! This can't go on like this." Hikari shouted and got up, pacing from one way to the other, talking wildly and gesticulating with her hands to emphasize her point. "Shinji's pathetic in his own pathetic way…" Hikari carried on, ignoring Rei's frown. "But Asuka's not much better…." She waited until Mana finished _whooping_ her approval.

"If we have to continue to coexist with those two and their kindergarten tactics we'll all end old, shriveled and petting cats in a nursing home before anything happens. We have to take the initiative!" She grabbed her can of pop and held it high in front of her, ready to make a toast.

"Or we'll die trying to set up those two morons.!!"

----- -----

**AN:** And thus, ends the "official" release of chapter 4. I have no other words but to thank both Fresh C and Blackfire, my betas, though I doubt they would like to be associated with this crap, or even remember giving it the once over.

Not much to say, if it feels rushed and incomplete, that's because it is, in both accounts, but there is a reason and method to my madness, I…just haven't figured it out yet.

This will most certainly continue, but as to an actual date of when to post the next chapter? Well I have tons of words and sentences, now I just have to give it some sort of…format, I guess.

**Updated: 8/29.** Jimmy Wolk was kind enough to point out some horrendous Geman grammar on behalf of Asuka, and we all know Miss Sohryu cannot have anything less than perfection, hence an update.


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